Consuming Darkness
by BelatedBeliever1127
Summary: When Donnie goes missing, Mikey and his brothers set out in a desperate search to find him. After a grievous mistake, everything changes as Mikey sets out to prove his worth, and quench his thirst for revenge. Co-written with Faithful Whispers
1. Chapter 1

His feet pounded against the hard stone of the roof as Mikey sprinted close behind his two older brothers. His blood felt heated and adrenaline rushed through his veins. Time was of the essence, as Leo kept reminding them, and Mikey kept hoping that by some miracle, they weren't too late. He pushed his muscles to the limit as they hopped rooftop to rooftop. He was tired, but he needed to keep his focus; his brother's life depended on it.

His bright blue eyes shone with determination as they locked onto the tiny form of Bebop on the street below. The warthog in the flamboyant purple jumpsuit was zipping along on his motorcycle through the Upper West Side, completely oblivious the three turtles on his tail as he sped toward the riverside district.

It had been three days since Donnie was taken while searching for parts in the scrapyard. When he didn't come home that night, Leo, Raph and Mikey had all gone out to look for him. After they found his phone crushed and thoughtfully left for them at the scrapyard, they had really started to worry.

They had searched everywhere, even going to the burned out shell of Shredder's lair to investigate. It had been close to a year since the Shredder had fallen, and though he was no longer a threat to them, Rahzar, Bebop and Rocksteady were still out there and still very dangerous. They were likely suspects, but unfortunately, that list was fairly long. Donnie was nowhere to be found, and the atmosphere in the lair was heavy with tension when they returned empty handed.

It didn't take long for Leo's tactical brain to start working overtime. He got the idea that the street gangs may know something. Mikey and Raph had shared a look and a grin when their brother put this idea to them. The youngest knew his brothers better than about anybody. Beating up gangsters for information was among their favorite things. That, and jelly bean and garlic pizza.

The Purple Dragons, though a bunch of boneheads, were smart enough to talk when the angry beast, also known as Raphael, started shaking them down. After a good deal of intense interrogation, and several broken noses, they learned that Shredder's lackeys were the ones who had taken Donnie and did have him hidden away somewhere, though none of the Dragons seemed to know where.

They had staked out Shredder's old base for two days, without success. Everyone's nerves were on edge, especially Raph's, though Leo was having difficulty keeping himself composed as well. Trying to keep his brother's from going off the deep end had been a Herculean task, but Mikey was up for the job. It was among many of the things that he did best.

Finally, Bebop showed his ugly mug around the abandoned building. Raph had first spotted the mutated thief sneaking through a window when his cloaking device failed for a minute. He cursed and struck the device, which reactivated and hid him from sight. An hour later, he reemerged, carrying a box of Stockman's lab equipment that he loaded onto the back of his motorcycle. Climbing onto the bike, he revved up the engine and sped off down the street. The turtles followed close behind, silent as shadows.

Bebop turned up a deserted side street that lead to an abandoned cannery warehouse. Leaning into a hard right turn, he drove the motorcycle up the ramp into the warehouse's loading docks, disappearing into the darkness. The three brothers stopped on the roof directly across the street. Raph unsheathed his sais, spinning them in his large fingers.

"Come on, let's get Donnie out of there!" Raph growled impatiently and stepped up on the ledge. Leo grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"Hold on, Raph. We aren't even sure that that's where they're keeping him."

Raph shifted his weight and threw a glare at his older brother. "Where else could he be? We destroyed Shredder's lair when we took him down, so his goons had to go somewhere!"

Mikey couldn't bear the sight of his two oldest brothers butting heads like this. In fact, it really annoyed him, since it was wasting time. He stepped forward and placed his hands on their shoulders.

"Guys, can you not do this _now_? D could be dying in there!"

Leo's expression softened, then he shrugged off his brother's grasp.

"Alright."

Shooting a look at Raph, he folded his arms. "If we are going to go down there, we need to stick to the shadows and scout it first. We can't just go in there blindly."

"Fine." Raph bit out, sheathing his sais with a huff.

In a fluid motion, the three of them climbed down and dashed across the street. They stuck close to the outer wall of the warehouse, using the shadows to their advantage. Things seemed clear on the outside as they scrunched down next to a dumpster full of construction waste.

Mikey felt Raph place his hand against his plastron, reminding him to stay close to the wall. A frown formed on his face. _I know how to be stealthy_ , he thought to himself bitterly, _I don't need these guys holding my hand through this._

They huddled close together, the silence nearly deafening as they carefully observed their surroundings. Not a single sound could be heard anywhere, not even the scampering of little rat feet. It was unnerving and Mikey felt a chill shoot down his spine.

"You would think a warehouse would have _some_ noise," Leo whispered hoarsely as he shifted closer to Raph. His brother nodded shortly in agreement, his wide green eyes roving the surrounding uncertainly.

The three turtles inched along the side of the building until they made it to the back corner. A smirk spread across Leo's face as he pointed upwards. Mikey and Raph followed their brother's gaze. Above some metal crates against the wall were a row of large windows, their glass panes propped open. The leader made a series of complicated hand signals and the three of them climbed up the boxes. The windows were still four or five feet out of reach, even standing on top of the crates.

Leo cupped his hands and gave Raph a leg up, getting him closer to the window panes. Raph carefully eased one of the windows further open, and slipped inside without a sound. Mikey stepped into Leo's hands and grabbed Raph's outstretched forearms, allowing his big brother to pull him inside. Together, they pulled Leo up and through the window.

They stuck to the shadows and hopped down behind some large conveyer lines. Mikey peeked around a stack of rusty machinery and instantly recognized the towering figures of Shredder's goons. His blue eyes grew wide as he took in the sight before him.

Rahzar and Rocksteady stood in a semicircle around Donatello, who was was curled up on his side on the floor. Bebop was unloading the lab equipment onto a long table, pushing aside piles of trash to make room.

Donnie slowly eased himself up off the floor, holding his side. Blood oozed from a large gash, dripping off his fingers onto the concrete. Rahzar loomed over him, the tips of his claws stained with dark rusty patches.

"I'm not going to ask you again," the dog mutant growled darkly as he flexed his bloodstained claws.

Donnie coughed painfully, struggling to push himself to his knees. He held his middle tightly with both arms and ducked his chin into his chest.

"I already told you," Donnie wheezed, his reddish-brown eyes gleaming with defiance, "I won't make it, so you might as well kill me."

"This is waste of time," Rocksteady commented, swinging his hammer into his open palm menacingly, "Let us just crack his shell and get it over with."

"No, you fool!" Rahzar stepped in front of him. The two large animals squared off fiercely, Donnie seemingly forgotten.

"We need him alive!" Rahzar snarled, "He's the only one who has successfully created the retromutagen." He lifted his finger and pointed towards Rocksteady's chest. "Don't you want to be human again?"

Rocksteady grumbled reluctantly as he roughly pulled Donnie to his feet by his arm. The wounded turtle swayed heavily as his knees buckled. The rhinoceros snarled in Donnie's face, nostrils flared irately.

"If the turtle knows what is good for him, he will start making retromutagen and stop wasting the time." He tipped Donnie's face upward with the broad side of his hammer, forcing the turtle to look him full in the face.

A hard lump formed in Mikey's throat as his indignation rose to fever point at the sight of his brother's bruised and swollen face. He couldn't take this anymore. He had to save his brother and he had to do it now.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey gave his signature battle cry as he charged toward the group of mutants.

"Mikey, wait!" he heard Leo cry out behind him.

Too late, the duo saw the youngest turtle charging out at them, and Rahzar quickly shoved Bebop aside. The warthog stumbled back a step, taken aback by the brash action.

"Yo, watch your claws fool, this is a brand new suit!"

Rahzar gave a grunt and ignored the warthog. He swung his head around and bared his fangs at Mikey, preparing to strike. Before he could even make another move, Raph dove down and planted his foot in his face, sending the dog-like mutant flying backwards. Leo sprinted past, katanas raised, headed straight for Rocksteady. The irate rhinoceros gave an indignant roar, swinging his hammer at Leo's head.

"G-guys," Donnie sputtered out after a coughing fit. Mikey made straight for him, helping him to his feet.

"Come on, Donnie. We gotta move, bro."

He wrapped his brother's long arm around his shoulder to support him. Blood was still gushing from his wounds, and as Mikey got a closer look at him, he realized that his skin was extremely pale. Donnie leaned on him heavily, his breathing shallow and labored. He issued moans of pain as he clung onto his brother, trying to keep himself steady on his feet.

"Hang on, D. Just a little farther," Mikey coaxed, willing Donnie to move faster; even a little bit.

Somehow he managed to get Donnie a few feet before his brother collapsed against him in a coughing fit. He tried to urge his brother to keep moving as he glanced around at the skirmishes going on around them. Raph was parrying the wide slashes of Rahzar's large claws. The loud clangs of metal striking metal, mingled with grunts echoed throughout the warehouse. Leo had knocked the hammer from Rocksteady's hands and was now dodging the wild swings from the metal sickle.

"Hey, we need to move!" Mikey cried urgently, tugging on his arm. Donnie's muscles spasmed violently as he tried to move faster. His legs failed him and he sank to his knees, breathing heavily. In a panic, Mikey put all of his strength into heaving his brother to his feet again.

He managed to hoist more of Donnie's weight onto him so that he could carry him, but Bebop zipped right up to them and tried to land a blow to his head. His fighter's instincts kicked in, and he immediately knocked him away with his nunchucks. The warthog cried out in pain before turning on his invisibility device.

"Yow! You think you can take me, punk?"

Mikey released the chain of his kusarigama and threw it at the space where he last heard Bebop. A loud thunk, followed by an exclamation of pain told him that he had hit his mark. The invisibility stuttered, revealing the warthog for a fraction of a second, before completely camouflaging himself again. _Great, this is gonna get annoying_ , Mikey thought bitterly.

Once more, he threw his weapon towards the incoming time the chain flew by unhindered, only striking thin air. The weighted chain fell to the concrete floor with a clatter.

"Mikey, what are you doing? Get Donnie out of here!" Leo shouted as he dodged Rocksteady's horn.

Mikey whipped his head back toward Donnie with panic in his eyes. Donnie clung onto Mikey for dear life as his wounds continued to bleed unhindered. His eyes were becoming cloudy and his head lolled forward. It was evident that he was struggling to maintain consciousness.

"Donnie! Bro! You gotta stay awake. Stay with me!" MIkey cried out in desperation, giving his brother a little shake. Donnie's brown eyes fluttered rapidly before he deliberately blinked, trying to keep his eyes open.

"I'll… try," he breathed painfully.

A loud hum sounded off to their right and Mikey leapt to the side, covering Donnie with his shell. The laser struck him in the arm, causing him to stumble to the ground. A jolt of pain shot through their bodies from the impact. An agonizing cry of pain erupted from Donnie; the pain was just too much for him to bear.

Mikey realized at that moment, he couldn't fight off Bebop with his brother hanging onto him. He was just too much dead weight. To keep his brother safe, he needed to set him down somewhere. He tried his hardest to ignore the searing pain in his arm; it was nothing compared to what Donnie must be feeling.

After calming his nerves, he shrugged off the pain and pulled himself to his feet. Adjusting his brother's weight, he used both arms to lift him up off the ground in a fireman's carry. There wasn't much time, and at the moment the warthog outclassed him in speed.

He glanced around, turning and twisting his head as he searched for a safe spot. Immediately, he noticed a stack of wooden crates next to the back corner of the room. Most of the fighting took place in the center, so it seemed like a good idea to place him away from the fray.

Using all the muscles in his body, he pushed himself as fast as he could to the corner. The shadows completely covered the back side of the boxes, so Mikey deemed it perfect spot to hide his brother. He used his legs to push aside some of the boxes and eased Donnie down into the makeshift hiding spot.

"Hey, pay attention to me! Whaddya' think you're doing?" Bebop sassed out as he closed in on them, his lasers humming loudly.

Mikey quickly threw a glare over his shoulder before giving a comforting look to his injured brother.

"Stay put. I'll be back before you know it." He sprinted away before Donnie had the chance to object.

"Come and get me, pork chop!" Mikey catcalled, turning and shaking his tail in Bebop's direction. The warthog indignantly snorted as he fired a couple of rounds from his laser gun at his head. The turtle nimbly cartwheeled out of harm's way, finishing off with a neat backhandspring.

"Ha! Missed!" He stuck out his tongue and blew a fat raspberry at the warthog. Bebop's ugly grey tusks jutted forward as he growled at his tormentor.

"Why you little shit!"

One of the lasers shot past Mikey's head and shattered a crate behind him. Wooden shards scattered out everywhere, followed by a puff of black smoke. _Uh oh!_ Now he was in full panic mode. He needed to lead his attacker away from his older brother before they were both vaporized.

"Hey, watch out!" Raph called as he hurled Rahzar in their direction.

Bebop didn't have time to react as his ally crashed into him. Mikey dove into a roll, barely having any time to dodge the incoming disaster. The two mutants flew headlong into the wall and slid down into a huddled heap.

"Move your spiky boney ass, you oversized mutt!" Bebop's protestations were muffled under Rahzar's weight.

"No, you get off of me, pig!"

The two brothers stood there and watched as their enemies wrestled, rolling around and screeching at one another. Mikey could hear Raph huffing as he glared at the pair of struggling mutants. Before he could make a move, he felt something slam against his shoulder. It happened all too fast, but the next thing he knew, Leo was on top of him with Raph kneeling down beside him, huffing out as he shrugged off the blow.

Rocksteady stomped over to them as they tried to regain their footing with a menacing gleam in his eyes. He swung the hammer over his shoulder, preparing to make a blow at his oldest brother. Mikey's eyes widened as the hammer sliced down towards them.

"No!"

Using his quick reflexes, he wrapped his arms around Leo and rolled to the side. He felt the shock pulse through the ground under him as the hammer struck the floor, sending a shower of concrete pieces flying in all directions. Several shards struck him in the shell as he tried to refocus himself. His muscles started quivering when he realized that they barely dodged being flattened like pancakes. Fear struck his core as the rhino dislodged his hammer, preparing to deliver another swing.

"Leave them alone!"

Raph hooked the rhino's arm with his sais, struggling to hold it back. This bought Mikey enough time to help Leo to his feet. Rocksteady quickly overpowered Raph, and tossed him toward the side of the building. He flew into the wall, making contact with a loud groan.

"Raph!"

Mikey feared for his brother, but the sensation instantly seeped away once his brother hoisted himself on his feet. His emerald green eyes shone with rage as he grinded his teeth, shaking off the impact. There were a few scratches on him, but nothing life threatening.

 _Man, the rhino-man is seriously tough,_ Mikey thought to himself as he glanced at Leo. Obviously, his skirmish with Rocksteady had taken a toll on him, because his knees were shaking and there were cuts and darkening bruises all over his body.

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded behind him. Flinching, he knew what was coming, and he dove to the floor, pulling Leo down with him. Lasers shot over their heads, striking Rocksteady in the chest and causing him to screech in agony. A loud metal thump rang through the warehouse as his hammer slammed into the ground.

As another round of lasers fired, Mikey tugged Leo along with him. Raph used the opportunity to tackle Rocksteady to the ground before he sprinted after his brothers. This only seemed to piss off their enemies even more. Bebop became trigger happy, shooting at all three of them in a craze. His shots scattered out everywhere, without aim or purpose.

"We have to get out of here!" Leo cried as he shrugged his brother off of him.

Leo shoved him forward as shouted over his shoulder for Raph to follow. Mikey looked back and his blood froze in his veins when he saw the stacks of crates. He had to go back for Donnie. _I'm the only one that knows where he is!_ He pushed past Leo, and made a mad scramble towards the back of the warehouse.

"Mikey! Where are you going?" Leo called after him.

He pushed his legs to the limit, ignoring Leo's calls. After all, they came all this way to save Donnie, and he refused to just _leave_ him. He just couldn't. However Bebop locked his sights onto him, and shot off a barrage of lasers, firing with everything he had.

"Hahahaha! Who's the porkchop now!" The warthog cackled out maniacally.

Mikey flipped upwards to let the rounds pass underneath him. One of the lasers struck a stack of dark barrels, igniting a fiery blast. The force of the blast propelled him backwards, all sense of security was stripped from , he felt Raph's strong arms grapple him and attempt to drag him away. Heat flared up from the wreckage, and the roar of the explosion was deafening. Debri rained on top of them, and a sense of horror shot through him as he watched Donnie's hiding spot go up in flames in front of his eyes. A large section of the wall had been knocked down, revealing the river beyond the docks.

He saw the shape of what he _knew_ was his brother, flying through the air in a stream of smoke, straight towards the water. His heart pounded relentlessly in his chest and his blood grew hot within his veins. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he struggled to tear away from Raph's clutches.

His voice broke free from his throat, tearing it raw.

"DONNIE!"

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **FaithfulWhispers-** Hey everyone! I hope you liked the first chapter of our newest work. It's been a pleasure working with BelatedBeliever, and I seriously enjoyed it. Don't worry, we are still working on our main fics, right Believer? ;)

 **BelatedBeliever -** Yes! Our other fics are still in the works, but we decided to put our heads together and try to create good story between the two of us. Faith's been a great co-writer and we hope that you liked our first chapter! Thanks for reading everybody! Leave us a review and let us know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Mikey screamed incoherently as he struggled against Raph's solid grip. He started pulling him back towards the fire, his lungs filling with darkened smoke. His eyes burned from the smoke as well as from hot tears from the terror he felt.

"Donnie! H-He's in trouble! We have to go get him!" He cried, desperately looking up towards his brother.

Raph turned his head in time to see the splash beyond the flames and his brother's words finally made sense. His blood froze in his veins and it became very hard for him to breathe. _Oh my God, he was still in the building?_

The flames were climbing up the walls and the heat was overwhelming. Raph knew that they couldn't jump through the flames; they needed a different exit. As he dragged Mikey further away from the chaos, he spotted a side door not far away. The flames were creeping closer to it, spurring Raph to pick up speed to beat the spreading fire.

If they were going to get out of the building alive, they needed to leave right now. Leo was hobbling towards the exit, coughing violently and beckoning for them to follow. Using the black rolling smoke as a cover, he set Mikey down and shoved him roughly forward as he made a dash toward the door.

"Mikey, quit your crying and _move_!"

As they neared the exit, Raph pressed his muscles to their limits. Explosions echoed loudly all around them and debris continued to fall like hail on their heads. The clock was ticking, and adrenaline pumped through him as he reached the sealed door. He kicked open the door with just a second to spare as the building started to crumble down. Panic jolted his brain into action as he pushed Mikey forward and pulled Leo out by the arm. The pieces of the building slowly collapsed in on itself as the turtles bolted as far away from the failing building as possible.

Now that Leo and Mikey were safely out of the building, he had to get to Donnie. Making a mad dash towards the edge of the docks, his emerald green eyes scanned the water, but its surface was littered with pieces of sheetrock. Instead of bubbles, there were splashes and droplets shooting through the air as debris rained down into the water.

Donnie was drowning, and he had no time to spare.

Raph sprinted for the end of the pier, catching his breath a split second before diving into the icy river. The cold stung his skin as he swam straight down toward the inky blackness. He saw Donnie, slowly sinking, air bubbles escaping from his parted lips. Raph's strokes became more determined and he felt energy course through his muscles, fueling him forward as he reached out as far as he could.

His hand closed securely around Donnie's wrist. Raph abruptly turned skyward, tugging his unconscious brother up where he could get a better hold. Then wrapping his arms around Donnie's chest, he swam for the surface as fast as his legs could propel him.

They broke through the surface of the water and Raph gasped loudly for air. He needed to get Donnie out of the water. His body felt extremely cold and limp. Intuition told him that there was something extremely wrong, and that he needed his to get his brother out of the water as soon as possible. However, Raph's energy was seeping away as he started to struggle with keeping their heads above the surface.

While he back-peddled with his brother in his arms, he heard a splash behind him. He craned his neck back to see what it was. If large chunks of building were crashing down behind him, he couldn't take Donnie that way. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Leo power-stroking his way to them. His muscles screamed in protest with each stroke, but he refused to slow down. The leader met them halfway, gently taking his brother from Raph. Pressing Donnie close to his plastron, Leo paddled to shore with long one-armed strokes. Raph followed closely behind and together, they dragged their brother out of the water, laying him on his shell.

He leaned his ear toward his brother's face and instantly realized that he wasn't breathing. Not a single breath passed his lips. Panic crashed down onto Raph. He had to get him breathing, or else Donnie wouldn't make it. Carefully, he laid his brother out on the soft sand and leaned over him as he started performing CPR.

"Breathe, damn it!" Raph commanded shortly as he pushed fervently into his chest.

Tipping Donnie's chin up, he gave two rescue breaths before continuing the chest compressions. Suddenly, Donnie began to sputter and cough up the water in his lungs. Raph felt a huge weight lift from his chest as he saw a little of the color return to his brother's skin as he hungrily sucked in deep breaths. With a soft gasp, Donnie's eyelids fluttered before closing and he went alarmingly limp.

But the battle was not over yet. Raph belatedly noticed the deep gash swept from his collarbone to his left shoulder, probably left from a piece of debris from the building. Blood slowly oozed from the gash, struggling to clot. He refused to move Donnie until that was taken care of, but with the scream of sirens in the distance, he needed to hurry.

He looked to Leo, who had already started unwrapping the bandages on his wrists. They would need a lot more than that, so Raph rapidly began to unwind his as well.

"Hang on little brother, we'll get you out of here." He murmured in a hushed tone as he pulled the last of the soaked bandages off his fingers.

Propping his brother up ever so slightly, he allowed Leo to wrap his portion around Donnie's wounds. Once he tied off the ends, Leo slid his hands under his shell to allow Raph could finish the job.

However, it still wasn't enough. The ends of the wraps were still too short and wouldn't tie together. They needed something to hold both bondings tightly in place. Instead of waiting for Leo to come up with a solution, Raph tugged at the knot of his mask. The tails flew with the wind as he pulled it off his face. With steady hands, he slid his fingers to each end and used it to tie off the bindings between the shoulder and collarbone. He gave Leo a look of affirmation, who proceeded to check the bandages. The wraps were quickly soaking through crimson, but they would have to do for now, until they got back to the lair.

A heavy sigh passed Raph's lips as they surveyed the work. The sounds of the incoming sirens grew closer and a crowd of people were starting to rush towards the crumbling building. It was only a matter of time before they were seen. They needed to grab Mikey and get Donnie out of there.

Then it hit him. Where was Mikey?

Immediately, he gathered himself to his feet and twisted around. There further up the beach, Mikey stared at them with horror in his eyes. Tears silently streaked down his dirty cheeks, and Raph could see him trembling.

Anger ignited within Raph. His little brother had stood by and watched Donnie nearly drown in the East River, when it was his fault to begin with. It was his job to get their brother to safety while they held back the enemies, but no, Mikey had just left him in harm's way and had nearly killed him.

It took every ounce of willpower not to march right up to him and pummel him into the ground, but now was not the time. Right now, Donnie needed them. He spat disgustedly into the sand, and turned back towards Don. His brother looked in a seriously bad state. Both of his arms and legs were starting to blacken in large patches, over-riding his natural green skin.

He adjusted his brother's long limbs, and instantly realized Donnie also sported quite a few broken bones. It didn't surprise him really, but he still needed to be gentle with his brother. Bending down with his knees, Raph carefully hooked one arm under his legs and used the other to support his body by placing his hand against the shell. With his over-sized brother cradled in his arms, he gestured for Leo to follow. They needed to take him home to Sensei immediately.

Mikey felt immense relief wash over him as he watched his brothers carry Donnie off the shore. He really wanted to know how his brother was doing, but after the look Raph gave him, he was frightened to get too close. Instead, he followed behind within a good distance, stopping whenever they would paused to make sure the coast was clear.

Mikey knew he really screwed up this time. He should have taken him out of the building, rather than returning to the fight. They could have handled it. Donnie had been the one who really needed his help. Guilt stabbed at his heart as he crept through the shadows, staying within ten feet of his brothers. He watched as Leo lifted a manhole cover up so that Raph could leap down inside. As soon as both of his brothers vanished from sight, Mikey darted up to it, proceeding to hop inside and pulling the manhole cover back over the opening.

As he trudged through the darkened, damp sewers, he heard faint murmuring behind the sound of dripping water from the various pipes around him. He strained to make out what they were saying, but his brothers were too far away to hear them clearly. Deep down, he knew that Donnie was not doing so well and he was terrified out of his mind.

Tunnel to tunnel, he made his way back to the lair. When he jumped down into the old subway tunnel, he saw his brothers' shadows cast onto the dimly lit walls. He slowed his steps, and twiddled his thumbs.

 _What will I even say? No, that doesn't matter. D needs me!_ Mikey mentally braced himself, trying to prepare for the worst.

As he stood at the top of the stairs, he paused and peered into the pit. His father had already rushed towards Raph and Donnie. Concerned mingled with fear clouded his face, and Mikey's stomach tightened. Splinter lifted Donnie into his own arms and gazed down at him with pain in his eyes. Then he lifted his head up and turned in Mikey's direction.

"Michelangelo, come here. Why are you standing there? I need all three of you to help me."

"W-What can I do?" he asked, eager to help however he could.

"I need you to prepare the examination table in your brother's laboratory."

"Right…" Mikey replied in a low tone.

He hurried down the hall to Donnie's lab. The exam table was covered by an assortment of tools and other kinds of junk. Mikey quickly started to gather up the tools in his arms, but two screwdrivers fell from his unsteady hands. Scrambling to gather up the fallen tools, he nearly tripped and fell over.

"Mikey, move!"

Raph's harsh voice snapped him out of his panic. With one swift movement, he swept everything off the table onto the floor. Part of him wondered how badly Donnie would be pissed at him, but he shook the thought out of his head. Splinter laid the broken turtle on the table and ran his hand over the bruising skin of his face.

All of a sudden, Mikey felt a crushing blow across his jaw and he fell to the floor. His face was burning and he clutched his cheek as he looked up at Raph. The irate turtle stood over him with clenched fists, murder burning in his emerald green eyes.

"You little fucker!"

"Raphael!"

Raph ignored his father's reprimand and sucked his teeth. With a look of pure rage etched on his face, he advanced towards Mikey. The younger turtle crawled backward, his eyes widening under his brother's fury.

"This is all your fault! You were supposed to get Donnie out, and now he's dying!"

Raph aimed a kick at Mikey's side. He dodged the blow and regained his footing. Then he twisted his head towards Leo, looking for support. Instead, he was chilled by his brother's accusing glare. His indigo eyes pierce right into him, but he couldn't look away.

"Boys!"

Master Splinter's tone was so sharp that all three turtles looked up. The rat's eyes burned with fury and his whiskers twitched violently.

"I need help saving your brother's life, if you three aren't too busy casting blame on one another!" He shouted with an authoritative tone, cutting the air with his hand.

Then he looked towards his oldest son, with his face softening a little.

"Leonardo, go with your brother. Raphael, stay with me. I'll need your help setting his bones and cleaning his wounds." Raph nodded shortly and stood closer to his father.

"But Sensei…," Mikey whined with a pleading face.

Leo grabbed Mikey's arm and pulled him unceremoniously out of the lab, slamming the door shut behind them.

The younger turtle stumbled a bit as Leo dragged him to the pit. He released his grasp on Mikey and started pacing restlessly. Staring into his hands, Mikey felt cold, and scared. Scared for what was to come. Then slowly, he faced his older brother's direction and lifted his head. However, Leo was staring hard at the closed door.

"Leo, I-" His voice died in his throat as his brother turned his cold blue eyes on him.

"Why didn't you just get Donnie out, Mikey?" he asked quietly.

"But… I just…" He swallowed, trying to whet his parched throat, "I'm sorry, Leo."

Leo slowly his shook his head.

"That's not going to cut it this time, Mikey. This isn't just going to go away. He might die." His voice was grave, but stern.

A painful scream echoed through the lair, followed by a series of heavy sobs. The quiet murmur of Master Splinter's voice came through the closed door and the sobs slowly subsided. Leo sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as he turned back to his little brother.

Mikey's lower lip trembled. The very thought of his brother dying pained him more than he could say, leaving an ache in his chest. He placed his hands on his plastron and curled into himself. A hard lump formed in his throat, and heat flared up in his cheeks.

"H-he can't die. I-I'm sure he'll make it…" Mikey said, all choked up.

Leo pursed his lips together, his disapproval almost palpable. He eased his eyes shut and exhaled.

"I don't know. He suffered a lot of internal damage and lost a lot of blood-"

Another scream broke out from within the lab, causing Mikey to cringe. His brother sobbed in agony as Raph and Master Splinter's muffled voices tried to calm him. Warm tears spilled down Mikey's cheek, and his knees began to quiver.

"Donnie…" he whispered in a pained voice.

Then suddenly, Master Splinter opened the door of the lab and poked his head out.

"Leonardo, we need you here for a moment." His voice was heavy and his eyes watered slightly.

Leo nodded solemnly and slowly limped toward the door. Mikey stepped forward, anxious to do something, anything to help his brother.

"What can I do, sensei?" he asked, looking into his father's eyes. Master Splinter shook his head solemnly.

"Nothing for now, my son. I will call if we need you."

Mikey sank down onto the couch as Leo and Splinter disappeared into the lab once again. Burying his head in his hands, he struggled to keep the sobs contained in his chest. The attempt was futile, and smothered hiccups escaped from him. He pressed his hands harder against his face to muffle the sounds of his pitiful crying.

He wouldn't dare let his brothers hear him.

Crashes sounded from within the lab, followed by frantic shouting. Mikey cringed and sobbed harder into his hands. He desperately wanted to go in there and help, but they didn't trust him. After all, he's the screw up. Mikey had seen it in his father's eyes as he shut the door. They didn't believe that they could rely on him. And maybe they were right.

The noise grew worse and the shouting became more heated. Mikey covered his ears and curled up onto a ball on the couch. He desperately hoped that his brother to come out of that room alive. He just had to. Donnie couldn't leave him all alone. After all, he was the one he was closest to out of all of them.

They weren't going to ask him to come in and help. He knew that much at least. Why bother asking him to come in and make things even worse than they already were? The only thing he could do now was sit and wait, praying that his beloved brother survives. If he didn't, Mikey felt like he was going to die too.

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **BelatedBeliever:** Wow! Thank you all who liked, followed and left us such wonderful reviews! It really means a lot to the two of us to hear your feedback! We hope that you will continue to tell us what you think :). Thanks for reading, everyone! *high-five to Faith for another awesome chapter!

 **FaithfulWhispers: *** high-fives back* Yes, thanks everyone. ^.^ It's such a thrill knowing y'all enjoy the work and effort we've put into this. I've had a great time working with Believer, and I can't thank y'all enough. 3 We'll get the next installment out as soon as we can!


	3. Chapter 3

Night crept along at a snail's pace as Mikey struggled to keep himself awake. He hadn't budged from his place on the couch since Splinter called his oldest brother into the lab. His eyes were puffy and sore from crying for so long, but that didn't matter to him. All that mattered was if Donnie was going to be alright. He had stopped screaming hours ago, but every now and then Mikey would hear low murmuring coming from the lab, the voices indiscernible from one another.

There was no way he could sleep; not until he knew how his brother was doing.

A heavy sigh passed his lips as he stared down at the threadbare rug in front of the dead television. He wrapped his arms around his legs, tucking himself into a little ball and rocking ever so slightly. Fatigue continued to accost him and his eyelids drooped heavily, threatening to close. He blinked rapidly and he shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

Then suddenly, he heard the creak of the lab door swinging open. A small beam of light was cast into the darkened living room, shining in Mikey's eyes. As he squinted against the light, Raph slouched out of the lab. Bags hung under his eyes, and he stifled a wide yawn.

Immediately, Mikey hopped to his feet. His brilliant blue eyes glimmered with anticipation as he staggered over to him, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

"I-is he going to be o-okay?" he stammered in his earnestness.

Raph glared at him through drooping eyes. The frown that creased his face became more pronounced at the sight of his little brother.

"He'll pull through," he replied shortly.

Raph shoved passed Mikey, nearly knocking him down. However, he stood his ground, and a soft whine passed his throat. He watched as his older brother dragged his feet, trudging slowly towards his bedroom, leaving Mikey alone outside of the lab.

He then turned and faced the door, and saw that his Sensei had poked his head out to greet him. His brother wasn't the only one who was exhausted as he observed the cloudiness in his father's eyes and the slight droop of his shoulders.

"We need to let your brother sleep now, my son. Leonardo will stay with him for tonight," he said gently as he quietly slipped out of the lab and shut the door behind him. Mikey looked up into his kind face, feeling completely useless.

"Is he going to be okay, Sensei?" he asked in a small voice that sounded afraid of itself.

"Time will tell. We have set his broken bones and stitched his open wounds. That is all that we can do for now. "

Splinter placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder, and Mikey looked up towards his father's face, looking for even the slightest bit of comfort. However, he stood silent for a moment as his father released a sigh.

"Goodnight, Michelangelo. Perhaps you will see him tomorrow."

Mikey stared at the cold metal door, his eyes brimming with tears as his father's soft padded steps faded into the darkness of the lair. His eyes stung and he quickly wiped at them, stopping the tears from rolling down his cheeks. His heart ached acutely underneath his plastron and he could feel the guilt coursing through him.

Several minutes passed as he stood there, alone and cold. He knees began to wobble, but instead of walking away, he leaned against the cold wall. Then he slowly slid down the wall to his seat, feeling the friction from the rough surface grating against his arm. All of his limbs went limp as he tilted his head until it was resting against the cold concrete surface.

Mikey felt so exhausted, but he didn't want to sleep. He didn't feel like he deserved it. Everything seemed so empty, and he could feel the tears wanting to well up in his dry, puffy eyes. No, he needed to stop crying. After all, he brought all of this onto himself.

As he eased his tired eyes shut to hold back the tears, the image of Raph glaring down at him flashed across his mind. Then there were Leo's cold, indigo eyes. Their accusing voices rang in his ears, slowly growing in volume. Second by second, memories of past mishaps recalled themselves to him, causing the ache in his chest to worsen, becoming unbearable. In response, Mikey tucked his knees closer to him, until in chin rested on his knee-pads. His body began to tremble from the coldness and fear that mingled all around him.

Slowly, he stilled and he felt his resolve stiffening. He realized then that he was extremely tired. Tired of being the screw up, tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes, tired of everyone's accusing glares. Tonight was where that stops.

He rose to his feet and brushed himself off. His joints ached mercilessly and his head was pounding with each thick beat of his heart. Favoring his left leg slightly, he purposefully walked across the lair, stopping at the door of the dojo to catch his breath.

Determination began to rise from within, pushing away the pain that lingered in his chest. Inhaling deeply, he slid the door open with trembling fingers, trying to be as silent as possible. Stealth was one of the most important aspects of being a ninja, and now, he was more serious about being a ninja than ever. Never again would he be responsible for his brothers getting hurt.

Easing himself inside, he carefully slid the door closed behind him. It was dark, eerie even, the shadows standing guard over the dojo. Mikey knew that his sensei would be asleep inside his bedroom, so he needed to be quiet. Like the shadows. He then tiptoed his way towards the center, carefully avoiding any unnecessary movement.

Lifting one of his nunchakus from its holster, he carefully positioned his feet into a wide stance and let one of the handles fall open in front of him. He exhaled, his cheeks puffing out as he released his tension with his breath.

 _Focus._

Deliberately, he reached over his shoulder, letting the wooden handle dangle behind his shell. Reaching under his arm, he grabbed it in his opposite hand and hung the nunchaku over the other shoulder. He repeated the action until the movements started to feel comfortable.

Faster and faster, he swung the handles, his attention riveted on the motion of his chucks and keeping his hands moving. The cadence was soothing, and his mind started to wander. The fatigue he had struggled against reared its head once again as he closed his eyes.

 _This is all your fault!_ Raph's angry accusation echoed within the darkness, as loud as a sonic boom. He winced, picking up the speed of his swings.

 _Donnie, I'm sorry… If I could do it all again, I would…._

 _Sorry's not going to cut it this time, Mikey. This isn't just going to go away._ Leo's icy rebuke, somehow more painful to hear than Raph's irate screams, pierced Mikey's heart. His brothers had been right. No matter what he did, he just ended up messing up and getting himself into trouble.

 _GOD, IT HURTS! MAKE IT STOP, MASTER SPLINTER!_ Donnie's agonized screaming echoed loudest of all, drowning out the other voices. Mikey's eyes flew open, and he gasped audibly. 

The wooden handle smacked against his shell with a loud crack. Mikey stifled a cry, dropping his nunchaku to the mat. He abruptly looked up at the rice paper divider to Splinter's room. There was no light, no sound of disturbance from within.

He released the breath caught in his chest, since he hadn't awakened his father after all.

 _Pull yourself together, Mikey._

He bent down and picked the nunchaku, holding it in both hands. Then he stared at the worn wood for a long moment, running his fingers over the grains.

 _Do it again, and this time, do it right._

He was a little disturbed that the voice in his head was beginning to sound a little like Leo. However, he needed to refocus himself. Inhaling deeply, he resumed the proper stance, and slowly breathed outwards.

Mikey started swinging the nunchaku slowly at first, then picked up the momentum until the wooden handles were just a blur. Crossing his chest, he caught it in his opposite hand for a fraction of a second before releasing it and swinging it over his head. He spun on his toes and struck out at the shadows, slicing through the air with a downward arc. Using the momentum to propel himself, he flipped backwards and landed on soft, padded feet.

The vigor of the kata did not distract his overactive mind for too long. As he spun the nunchaku at top speed, he couldn't stop seeing the broken body of his brother, lying on the examination table. He couldn't stop hearing his cries, pleading for someone to make the pain go away.

A flood of emotions passed through him, from bitterness to anger, and even a bit of sorrow. They began to cloud his focus, and his movements became unsteady. His hand slipped and the nunchaku struck his wrist. He grimaced in pain, but he didn't make a sound.

 _You can do better than this_ , he chastised himself as he resumed spinning his weapon.

He knew he could do better. All his life, he had never taken anything seriously. He had never thought things through. When it came to training, he always gave little effort, thinking it was boring and a waste of time. Heck, even his eating habits were bad. Leo always questioned his diet, telling him that eating those cheese puffs snacks would affect his physical it would make him slow and sluggish.

 _Do you even know what's in that?_

Mikey cringed at Leo's voice in his head. Honestly, he never really cared about that stuff before. It was his life, but now, it affected his brothers. It had nearly cost him his beloved brother's life.

Everything he did was wrong.

No, he needed to focus. Shifting his weight, he pressed his toes into the tatami mats and concentrated on his breathing.

 _Still, like the forest._

 _Calm, collected, disciplined._

With his mind cleared, Mikey stretched out the wielded hand, and tucked his other close to him with the elbow tightly bent. He twirled the swinging handle upwards and over his head, then carefully brought it back down. With a strong wave of his arm, he flung it to his opposite side and caught it with the free hand. As he continued this routine, it became more graceful and disciplined.

A few moments passed as Mikey picked up the speed, and swung it at a more rapid motion. The handle barely scraped against his shell as he twisted his body into it. His motions became more wild, unnecessary even, when his emotions started to stab at him once more.

 _Oh, I'm up against Mikey? Man, this will be cake!_

Raph's mocking voice irritated him, making his eye twitch. He never took him seriously, especially during practice. Then again, Mikey never really took himself seriously either. He'd rather read comics or beat high scores, than train with his brothers. Now, look where it had gotten him.

 _I'm just a screw up._

His breathing slowly grew irregular, and his arms began to tremble. The fatigue he had pushed aside earlier came crawling back as the tremors became more violent. The nunchaku slipped from his fingers, landing on the mats with a soft clatter. A soft gasp passed his lips as he anxiously peered towards his sensei's bedroom. Luckily for him, no light or sound was present.

With anger skimming below the surface, Mikey clenched his fists as stared down at his weapon splayed out on the mat. Even though he had desperately wanted to clear his mind, and be still, it was nearly impossible to do so. Every little thing was tearing at him from the inside, causing his concentration to shatter into little pieces. Just like how his heart felt.

No, he needed to stitch it back together and keep going.

The time for being weak has passed. No more games and jokes. No more blaming or complaining. The only way that he could conquer his worthlessness is to make himself stronger. Put the old Mikey aside and grow up.

Slowly, he bent forward and carefully lifted the nunchaku up off the mats. Mikey eased his eyes shut as he straightened his body. Then he allowed the air to pass into his lungs and flow back out. In and out, like a constant flowing stream.

 _Calm and collected. Focused._

He shifted his foot out, and hung his arms by his side. Still, he concentrated on his breathing, trying to put himself in a trance. Anything to put his mind at ease.

Mikey lifted up his arms, and balanced the weight of the nunchaku. He snapped his wrist upwards, causing the weapon to swipe the air while using the opposite arm for stability. As his breathing became steady, the swing of handles matched its rhythm. His wrist movements were fluid as the weapon swung a figure-eight, in a beautiful, concise series of motion. Then, he lifted his arm upwards and swung the handle behind it. Immediately afterwards, he used his free arm to reach underneath, and grabbed it, only to repeat the exercise once more.

When he jerked his arm upwards for the second round, the weight of the swing threw him off balance, causing Mikey stagger a step. He failed to regain his footing, so he fell heavily on his side with his shell taking the brunt of the fall. Annoyance flared up and he slammed his fist against the mat.

He was just so tired.

Tired in every way possible.

Suddenly, he heard a soft shuffling behind the rice paper divider, and ceased all movements. Mikey held his breath, and watched the door with fear. A few moments passed, but there wasn't single sound. The danger had passed, and so, he eased himself slowly onto his knees.

As he sat there for a couple of minutes, he felt his eyelids growing heavier with each passing second. Honestly, he hadn't slept in almost two days now, and he could barely get through his katas. He frowned as he realized he failed at what he had set out to do that night.

Well, he didn't completely fail. After all, he saw exactly what he needed to do. As he pushed himself to his feet, he could feel his aching joints protesting in pain. For now, Mikey needed to get some sleep. Otherwise, he would keep falling on his face and tripping over his own feet. Slowly, he lifted up his weapon and returned it to its holster as he looked into the the darkness. His focus faded in and out as he rubbed his temples.

Once he got some rest, he could get his head where it needed to be. Tomorrow, he'd show his brothers that Michelangelo could actually be useful. That he wasn't so worthless after all.

He made his way to the dojo's exit, but his thoughts were swimming around his head in a roaring wave. There was so much that he needed to work on; to change. Quietly sliding the door open, he came up with a series of things that he would need to improve on first.

His sleeping and eating habits were definitely one.

Each step was shaky as he headed towards the bedrooms. Every muscle trembled, and the burn he received from Bebop's laser started to sting. He had actually forgotten about it, but it was nothing compared to what Donnie had to go through.

No, what Donnie _has_ to go through.

Honestly, if he had been quicker, and maybe hadn't skimped on his training, he wouldn't have gotten hit. Shoving the thought and the pain aside, he staggered over towards his bedroom door, and eyed it pitifully.

Pushing open the door, he trudged over the mess and collapsed onto his rumpled bed. Then he shifted his head to the side, allowing his blue eyes to soak up the view of the room. Disgust filled him from his laziness and his slobbish ways. That was another thing he was going to have to work on. After having his fill of the sight, he closed his burning eyes and allowed his tired muscles to relax.

His consciousness became fuzzy as he felt his tired body quickly succumbing to sleep. His last thought before he slipped into a dreamless sleep was that he hoped that Donnie would at least sleep well tonight.

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **FaithfulWhispers:** Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed this installment. I can't thank you all enough for reading and following our story so far. Thanks for leaving amazing reviews, we appreciated it. Actually, this chapter was a blast to write with Believer, and I can't wait to write more. *huggles Believer*

 **BelatedBeliever:** *huggles Faith back* I am in complete agreement with Faith! We hope you enjoyed this installment and will continue reading the chapters to come! Please continue leaving us reviews and letting us know what you think. See you all next time!


	4. Chapter 4

As Mikey slowly opened his eyes, a low groan rumbled in his throat. Every single muscle and joint ached in a way it never had before, even worse than after punishment training sessions. Honestly, he didn't even want to move from his plastron-side-down position. All he wanted to do was stay in bed to avoid feeding the pain.

He sluggishly looked at the alarm clock next to his bed. It was only noon. Letting out a small whine, he pushed himself up until he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Then he shifted his weight forward and cupped his head with his hands, massaging his face in an attempt to wake himself up. It was difficult for him to shrug off the sleepiness, since he felt like he hadn't nearly slept enough.

A few minutes passed as he sat still in a tired daze, staring at an unidentified stain on the floor by his feet. As he let out a loud, obnoxious yawn, his memories of last night came flooding back to him. Suddenly, he wanted to hurl.

How could he sit here and be lazy, when Donnie was the one truly suffering?

Mikey scowled at the notion and hoisted himself to his feet. He stumbled a bit, crashing into a pile of greasy pizza boxes. They scattered, spilling a few moldy crusts and old slices of pizza. The boxes were crushed under his weight as he collided with the floor.

How could he be such a pig?

Nausea swept over him, and he slowly heaved himself back up onto his feet. His knees wobbled as he staggered out of the mess, stepping on an old, slimy slice of pizza that stuck fast to the bottom of his foot. He grimaced as he scraped the congealed cheese and lumpy tomato sauce off with the edge of one of the pizza box lids. Its putrid odor filled his nose, causing him to gag.

A resolve hardened within him as he looked around at the mess. After he goes and visits Donnie, he was going to clean out this pigsty of a bedroom. Mikey then stumbled out of his bedroom and saw that Leo had opened the door to his own room. Just as he was about to call to him, Leo saw him, but quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

Deep down, he didn't blame Leo for not wanting to see him. After all, Mikey was pretty disgusted with himself as well. He stood alone in the hall for what seemed like hours, but then he gathered up his thoughts and decided that he worry about dealing with the guilt later.

All he cared about was seeing Donnie and apologizing to him. Not that 'sorry' would make up for nearly getting him killed. But, it was a start to say the least.

Steeling himself, he walked up to the door of the lab and raised his fist to knock. Before he could even make contact, the door swung open and he was confronted with Raph's fiery gaze. It took all of his willpower to not shrink back and cower.

"Get the fuck out," he said, not giving Mikey an opportunity to speak.

"Raph-"

But Raph shoved his little brother backward with all of his strength, causing him stumble back a few steps. He seemed to radiate fury as he towered over the younger turtle. Mikey drew himself up, trying to make himself look more confident than he felt.

"I mean it, Mikey. Leave," Raph bit out, seeming to have difficulty getting the word out.

"I just wanna see Donnie. I won't bother him, I swear."

Mikey listened to the sound of his voice and it felt like he was hearing it for the first time. The whining, begging tone made him feel small and foolish.

"You've done enough, you little shit," the hotheaded turtle spat.

Raph's fists were clenched with his knuckles trembling, as if they were itching to hit Mikey again. Every fiber of his being wanted to pummel him; to make him feel the same kind of pain Donnie might be in at this very moment. He lifted his arm up, preparing to strike. A fraction of a second went by, and instead executing the attack, Raph lowered his arm back to his side. His other brother needed his attention, and honestly, he didn't want to waste his energy.

Mikey felt a bit hopeful at his brother's sudden change, but he didn't even have the chance to utter a single word as Raph slammed the door shut in his face. A dejected look spread across his face as the younger turtle's shoulders slumped in defeat.

He had desperately wanted to see his brother, but they didn't think he could be trusted.

About a minute passed as he stared at the dull, metal door. He then pressed his ear against the door, straining to hear what was going on inside. He heard a slight whimpering mingled with the sounds of hushed whispers. Donnie sounded miserable, and Raph, almost scared. A hard lump formed in his throat, nearly choking him with regret.

No, he had already decided that he wouldn't wallow in self-pity.

Mikey would actually do something about it for once.

He bit into his lower lip as he stared down at his hands. Might as well follow up on his promise, he thought to himself. Then he turned away from the door and started up the stairs to his room. The world seemed so lifeless around him, making him feel small and helpless. But then as he thought about his room, his stomach churned.

There was a lot of work to be done. In fact, he couldn't remember when the last time he cleaned it was. Splinter had given up on reminding him years ago. Perhaps Mikey should have listened to him. Well, it was too late for any self-regret; the only thing he could do now was take care of it.

 _Be an adult for once in your life._

A sigh passed his lips as he pressed open his bedroom door. The room opened up in his view, causing Mikey's face to settle into an annoyed frown. Pizza boxes were stacked onto each other- not counting the stack he knocked over by his bed. There was dust on nearly every surface and food garbage was scattered all around. He didn't even want to think about what could be underneath his bed, but then again, he will have to if was going to clean.

Mikey trudged over to the bed and decided to get it over with. Once he got down to his hands and knees, he mentally prepared himself for the worst. Reaching under the mattress, he swept a pile of trash into the light. He didn't want to think about how long that banana or that ham sandwich had been under there, but judging by how one oozed black liquid and the other bloated like an obscene puffer fish, it was probably a long time. Holding his breath, he dove back under, shoveling all kinds of foul smelling garbage into the middle of his floor. It took everything he had to keep himself from throwing up as he began to shift through the filthy mess.

After an hour of intense scrubbing and four garbage bags later, his room finally looked like a habitable living space. He collapsed to his knees, sore and exhausted. Honestly, he couldn't believe how much work it took him to clean out his room. It felt just as awful as an extra training session. Mikey quickly shook his head and slapped himself.

He didn't deserve to complain. After all, he had brought _all_ of this onto himself.

Then his stomach suddenly growled like a sleeping grizzly bear and he clapped his hands over his midsection. He was so famished, he felt like he could eat a family of elephants. Well, maybe not the baby… after all, who could eat a cute baby elephant?

 _Focus, numbskull._

After releasing a heavy breath, Mikey lifted himself up onto his feet. Even though he wanted to change, it was much more difficult than he had thought it would be. His bright blue eyes trailed down to his hands that rested against his plastron. Either way, he would need to eat.

Dragging himself to the door, he stretched a kink out of his shoulders and rubbed his sore arm. He looked down the hall and saw that Leo's door was still closed. His brother had stayed up all night standing guard over Donnie and was most likely catching up on his sleep.

Sullenly, he wondered why he couldn't be more like Leo. Why couldn't he have his level head, his resolve, his drive?

As his mind wandered in all the pressing thoughts floating around in his head, Mikey pushed himself into the hallways and made his way down the stairs. The lair seemed so cold and lifeless; it really gave him the creeps. He crossed the lair, his empty stomach complaining loudly as he stepped up into the kitchen. Dread crept into him once he saw that he wouldn't be alone.

Master Splinter sat on a stool at the kitchen island, a steaming cup of tea gripped tightly in his gnarled hands. He raised his amber eyes and glanced at Mikey for a moment before taking a long sip from his floral tea cup.

"Good morning, my son. Or rather, good afternoon."

Mikey flinched. Honestly, he wasn't ready to talk to his father. But, life stinks and he needed to buckle down and get it over with. He couldn't avoid it forever.

"Uh, mornin' Sensei…" he weakly replied, silently kicking himself for sounding so small. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed an orange from the bottom shelf.

"Have you gone to see Donatello this morning?" Splinter asked, focusing his gaze on his youngest son intently. Mikey hedged, not wanting to admit that he had been turned away like a minor at a nightclub.

"Umm...yeah, I-I did," Mikey lied as he averted his gaze. He began peeling the orange, his fingers trembling violently as they worked under the skin.

Splinter knew better. His amber eyes narrowed and his whiskers twitched. He took another long sip of his tea before speaking.

"Alright, well the worst is over, but he still has a long way to go before he recovers completely. I saw him just awhile ago and thankfully there wasn't any signs of infection."

Mikey looked up, his eyes hopeful. Donnie was going to make it! He felt himself relaxing immensely at the news.

"I'm sure you're aware that he won't be able to leave his lab for a long time, so make sure you visit regularly. It will lift his spirits, even if he may not be fully aware," Splinter commented, his voice heavy as his breath hitched.

The smile growing on his face froze abruptly. Not fully aware? What did that mean? Didn't he say that Donnie was going to be okay?

Mikey's blue eyes began to water. His heart started to race as his breathing became heavy, but he didn't want to make it clear that he lied to his father. Immediately, his thoughts flew into panic mode as he tried to make sense of it all.

"Uh, about that. Leo and Raph wouldn't say much, but exactly is wrong with Donnie, other than he almost died?"

Immediately, Mikey cringed. He couldn't believe he had just asked that.

Splinter's eyes flashed dangerously, but instead of pouncing on him with harsh words, he merely drummed a thoughtful finger against the side of the cup.

"He suffered significant trauma to his head, and there is a concussion, possibly swelling in his brain. I do not understand all of Donatello's equipment, so it is difficult to be sure." He paused for a moment as he replenished his cup with a matching teapot at his elbow. Kneading the cup in his fingers, he continued in a subdued voice, as if he were fighting back tears of his own.

"His arms and legs are broken in several places, as well as four of his ribs. There are several cracks in his shell, some superficial, others very deep. Also, there are deep cuts in his side, as well as above his plastron."

Mikey's heart sank. It was that bad? Part of him didn't want to believe it, but Splinter's words demanded that he did. He had to. Otherwise, he was just kidding himself.

 _If only I had gotten him out of the building, this never would have happened_ , he thought bitterly to himself. Donnie didn't deserve any of this. What if he never woke up at all? How could he live with himself if that happened? Mikey didn't think that he could. Or what if Donnie woke up and was… different? His blood ran cold at the thought, chilling him down to his core. That couldn't happen.

Mikey refused to accept that as a possibility.

He suddenly wasn't very hungry anymore. Setting the half-peeled orange down on the counter, he turned and walked out of the kitchen, as if he were in a dream.

"Michelangelo?"

Mikey didn't turn around at the sound of Splinter's concerned voice. He kept walking, his mind in a daze.

He couldn't take it any longer. He had to see Donnie. He had to see it for himself, because it was eating away at him. There was no way that it could be as bad as Master Splinter had said. Every part of him needed to see what Raph was keeping him from.

Mikey hid in the alcove near Donnie's lab for about half an hour, waiting for his chance. Raph had to come out sometime. After all, he had a bladder the size of a nectarine. As soon as he made sure that his brother was safely in the bathroom, Mikey would sneak in and check on Donnie.

Finally, Raph emerged from the dark lab. He rubbed his eyes, stretched and lumbered down the hall. In spite of himself, Mikey grinned. Raph was so predictable, it was almost sad.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Mikey sprang into action. Moving quietly, so that he didn't alert his brothers as to what he was doing, he pushed the lab door open. No one shouted at him to stop or to get away from the door.

He had made it. He released a relieved sigh as he pulled the door closed behind him. Turning around, he saw the examination table, and the prone figure that lay on it. His heart lurched at the terrible visage in front of him.

Donnie was barely recognizable. The few exposed areas of his skin, especially his face and shoulders, were black and swollen. Both of his arms were encased in stark white plaster casts, as were his legs and they all hung in slings that kept them elevated. Heavy bandages were strapped across his plastron and around his chest. They had attached an oxygen mask and the clear plastic fogged up every time Donnie exhaled. The rise and fall of his chest was slight, but it was there.

It physically hurt to see his beloved brother like this, but Mikey couldn't tear his eyes away. Walking up to the table, he ran his hand over the top of his brother's head. Donnie's lean face was misshapen and his purple mask was nowhere to be seen. Mikey could see his gapped teeth through the mask as Donnie slept on, mercifully free from the pain for now.

"Oh, Donnie…," Mikey whispered brokenly as he touched his brother's swollen cheek. He didn't know what else to say. There wasn't much more to be said. Leo and Raph had both made that painfully obvious.

"If there were any way I could take your place, I would. I deserve to be on the table, not you. What are we going to do while you're gone?"

Donnie didn't answer; not that Mikey really thought that he would.

His eyes burned as he watch Donnie continue slowly breathing, unaware of his presence. Master Splinter seemed to think that he knew when he was there, but Mikey didn't believe it. His brother wasn't here and it was possible that he wouldn't come back at all.

He closed his eyes shut and relived the scene in his mind. Water threatened to leak from beneath his eyelids as the memories came pouring in. He watched blood ooze down his brother's side, watched him struggle to walk and maintain consciousness. Donnie didn't look nearly this bad when he had hidden him behind those crates.

Honestly, Mikey thought he would be safe.

As he replayed the scene where he watched Donnie fly through the air, he heard the soft click of the door opening. Immediately, Mikey's eyes flew back open and his heart rate picked up speed. If Raph was back, he would surely murder him. He brought his hand to his teeth and began to gnaw at his index finger.

There wasn't enough time to make a stealthy exit.

His eyes darted all around as he tried to come up with using quick thinking, he scurried over to Donnie's desk and crouched down under it, completely hiding his presence. He had barely made it as the door swung open, followed by soft thudded footsteps.

They were too soft to be Raph's, but too heavy to be Splinter's, so that could only mean it was Leo in the lab. Mikey's heart settled a bit, but he was still too afraid to move. He wasn't exactly Leo's favorite turtle at the moment, so he wasn't quite sure what his normally level headed brother would do if he found him hiding there.

Moments passed on as he stayed crouched underneath the desk. But suddenly, Mikey heard his older brother sigh, and scrape the floor with his feet.

"I know you're there, Mikey...so you might as well show yourself," Leo stated in an unamused voice.

He cringed and his heart rate sped back up. Slowly, he eased himself out from underneath his hiding place, but refused to meet Leo's eyes. There was an awkward silence in the air and the tension ground against his nerves.

"Well, now you see…" his older brother murmured as he looked down at Donnie, breaking the silence.

Mikey's chest tightened and ached. His oldest brother sounded like he was on the verge of tears, but he couldn't say anything. There was nothing to say.

 _Sorry won't cut it this time…_

He quickly wiped his eyes, before he even had a chance to cry, and turned to face Donnie. His brilliant blue eyes were still brimming with tears, threatening to spill over. Seconds went by as they stood still. Neither one of them uttered a single word, the air still heavy with the severity of the whole situation. It was nearly suffocating, but finally, Mikey plucked up the courage to ask the question that had been pulling at him all this time.

"Leo, I don't understand. How could D have taken so much damage? He didn't look this bad when I hid him," Mikey asked, his voice almost squeaking from his fear.

This time, his oldest brother stiffened and tightened his jaw, causing the veins in his neck to pop out. Anger radiated off of him in such a way, that it made Mikey's skin crawl. Whatever Leo was about to throw at him, he prepared himself to take it in full.

"Well Michelangelo, not only was Donnie propelled into the air from the explosion, but when you crash into water from that height, it's like slamming into the pavement. Also, who knows what else could have hit him," Leo's voice struggled to stay calm, as if his self-control would snap at any moment.

Suddenly, it felt like Mikey had been shot through the heart, the pain in his chest nearly unbearable. Then the ache spread like wildfire throughout his very being, and there was nothing he could do. Because of his reckless choice, even though Leo had told him to get out, Donnie had to suffer like this. He tried to move his lips to say something, anything, but his brother held his hand up to silence him.

"Just leave Michelangelo, before I do something I'll regret. You got to see him, so just...go…"

"But-" Mikey tried to make his voice work, but it failed him. Leo didn't even look at him. He just kept his cold stare on Donnie's sleeping form on the examination table.

"Just be thankful I'm not Raph," Leo bit out coldly, struggling to keep his collected tone.

Turning away, Mikey stumbled out the door, his tears pouring down his cheeks. He felt utterly disgusted with himself, too ashamed, even. As he started making his way towards his room, he suddenly was hit with a huge wave of emotions. Everything from guilt to desperation, he could hardly take it.

He staggered, nearly tripping over his own feet, but then he came to a full halt before he even reached his bedroom. Every muscle trembled and it felt like there was a heavy weight pressing down on his shell.

What was he going to do? Go cry about it in his room?

Suddenly, Mikey felt nauseous again and cupped his head in both hands. He couldn't believe how childish he was being. Didn't he tell himself that there would be no more tears? His bottom lip quivered as his eyes pierced the grey concrete floor.

 _Quit being so selfish..._

If anything, he needed to change. No more crying. No more self-pity. After all, Donnie was worse off and he had a hand in it. He should have been stronger. Honestly, he could have fought off Bebop as he fled with Donnie. But because he doesn't take his training nearly as seriously, he wasn't as strong as Raph or as disciplined as Leo; in fact, all he ever does is screw up.

Well, that stops right this instant.

A silent rage coursed through him. He clenched his eyes shut and lifted his head up strong. The image of Donnie lying on that table was strongly etched into his mind; it as if there was a photograph taped inside his eyelids. Once the sight was just too much for him to bear, he slowly opened his eyes and there were no more tears.

Donnie wouldn't be there to look out for him anymore like he always had, and so, he needed to get his act together so that he could be there for the rest of his family. He would prove to everyone, even to himself, that he wasn't so worthless.

Mikey spun on his heel and made a beeline for the dojo. Training begins now, and he knew that Master Splinter would not say 'no' to a private session, especially not with him. His father knew that he could use it and perhaps would even welcome it. Determination rose up into him as his steps struck the ground.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **BelatedBeliever:** Hey everyone! Thank you all for reading and showing your support by favoriting, following and leaving wonderful reviews! Please, keep letting us know what you think; your feedback is so important. Faith, this was a great chapter! :D Great job, girl!

 **FaithfulWhispers:** Yes it was Believer and thanks, great job to you as well ^.^. You're amazing 3 We are extremely thankful for all of your support. It really means a lot to us. This has been a blast to work on, and honestly, it's been great working with Believer. I'm so excited to see the story develop, and I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Cya' next time!


	5. Chapter 5

April sat on the stool next to the examination table, gently stroking Donnie's brow with trembling hands. It had been hours since she had arrived at the lair but there had been no change in his condition.

She had been living in a constant state of terror during the time that Donnie had been missing. Not knowing anything was the hardest part for her. At least now he was here and she could touch him. At least she had that much. But at the same time, seeing him all beaten and broken on the table was nearly too much for her to endure. It took everything she had to keep steady.

A shadow fell upon her and she heard shuffling steps behind her and looked up towards the entrance. Leonardo stood in the doorway, his face weary and strained. April had never seen the leader look so worn.

"Any change?" he asked huskily, his eyes scanning her face anxiously. She shook her head with her ponytail swishing across her back.

"No," she said softly, her eyes dropping to the floor. Her heart twisted relentlessly in her chest as she fought against the anguish. Leo gave a deep sigh and rubbed the back of his head. April wondered how much sleep he had gotten last night as she glanced back up at him. It probably hadn't been much, judging from the dark circles beneath his eyes.

"What happened to him, Leo?"

Leo leaned against the door jamb and began to relate the previous night's events to her. His voice was filled with bitterness as he spoke. As she listened, tears flowed freely down April's freckled face and dripped off her chin. The story was extremely heart-wrenching as it tore her apart from the inside. She then glanced back at Donnie's face, bruised and swollen nearly beyond recognition.

"Is Mikey okay?" April asked with a heavy tone settled in her soft voice.

"Hm?" He seemed taken aback by her question.

She then turned to face him, disconcerted by his attitude. After all, it was a simple question. April hadn't seen Mikey when she arrived, but the atmosphere had been heavy. She had dismissed it, thinking that it might've been strain of what had happened Donnie that made the lair feel cold and lifeless. Now that she was here looking at Leo, and after hearing what had happened last night, she knew that there was something more to it. Something dark and ominous.

"Mikey... He must be feeling awful about what happened."

"Well…," Leo hedged, clearing his throat. April stood quickly before the turtle, her eyes searching his. She could literally see the tension boiling within them.

"You blame him for this?" she asked incredulously. Leo's face scrunched up as he crossed his arms.

"If Mikey had done what I told him, this wouldn't have happened," he responded defensively, tearing his eyes away. "Donnie would still have been hurt, sure, but he wouldn't have come home like that." He gestured toward the table in order to emphasize his point.

April could hardly believe what she was hearing. Leo was supposed to be the eldest. The most responsible. How could he possibly think that? She folded her arms and pierced him with her ocean blue eyes. Gritting her teeth, she sternly said, "Mikey wouldn't do anything to hurt Donnie on purpose. You know that."

A fire ignited behind Leo's deep blue eyes. His indignation was nearly palpable as he stood up to his full height.

"You should be furious! Donnie almost died and you are actually defending Mikey?" He shouted as he threw his arms out in front of him.

April's face lit up with shock and she immediately turned away from him. Her head hung low as she leaned over Donnie's broken body. Minutes passed as Leo stood there, waiting for April to deny it, but she just gently stroked Donnie's cast with thoughtful fingers.

"If anyone's to blame, it's the monsters that took him in the first place." Her voice was full of anger and even despair.

Leo looked away. He couldn't think of anything to say. There was nothing left to say.

Her face twisted in anger and grief as she glanced towards Donnie's beaten face. As her eyes lingered on the dreadful sight, another tear spilled down her cheek. Her eyes were red and were starting to swell. As she watched him faintly breathe, she struggled to keep herself from sobbing.

Suddenly, she felt a soft grip on her shoulder. Leo pulled her in close, tears threatening to break free from his indigo eyes. The tension had run so thick in the air, that it was nearly suffocating. April couldn't take it anymore, and so, she twisted towards him and pressed her cheek against his plastron.

The lab was filled with the sound of her gutteral cries.

Leo muffled his own grief. He had to stay strong, for April as much as for himself. Lifting a trembling hand, he stroked her hair, trying to impart some comfort.

"I'm sure he'll pull through, April," he murmured, nearly choking on the words.

She nodded slowly, accepting his comforting words. She needed something to hold on to, and that statement was the only clear lifeline she could see. Clinging to him, she found some solace in his strong arms. Honestly it wasn't much, but it was enough to pull herself together again.

Suddenly, a faint sound caught her attention through her sobs. Her eyes flew open, and immediately, she heard another weak groan coming from the table. She spun out of Leo's arms with hope rising in her chest.

Donnie was stirring painfully, his eyes fluttering. The mask on his face continued to fog up with heaved breaths. Finally, there was at least some sign of life. April wasted no time, and bent over him, cupping his face lightly.

"Donnie?" she whispered softly, tearing from the pain she saw in his dear face.

His eyes swiveled towards her, unfocused and slightly confused. The reddish gleam she was so used to seeing was now dark, almost faded. He sucked in a shuddering breath, his whole face trembling. The trembling didn't stop at his face, however, it also ran through his broken body in waves.

"A…," he croaked before his eyes rolled back in his head. Then, his body was limp once more. April gasped audibly and she looked toward the monitor that displayed Donnie's vital signs. Everything blipped along as well as could be expected; it was as if nothing had happened.

Swallowing her grief, she gently kissed his forehead, hoping to give him some kind of comfort. There was a long silence, the air only filled with the sounds of the beeping heart monitor and gasping oxygen tanks.

"If you need a break, I can stay with him for a while," Leo offered from behind her. She shook her head slowly.

"I'm fine, Leo. Just a little tired."

"Do you need anything? Coffee, something to eat?" he asked, wanting to at least do something for her.

"Coffee, please," she replied with a weak breath.

"Alright, I'll go get you some."

Leo gave her one last comforting smile before turning away. His steps were uneven, since he was so exhausted. He hadn't slept much, mostly because he couldn't. There was too much on his mind for him to think about resting. Each step softly thudded against the ground, and his mind began to wander.

Even though he had told April that everything would be alright, he had a hard time believing it himself. But, he had to. He had to believe that Donnie would pull through.

After all, there was that brief moment where Donnie was momentarily aware. April's presence would make a difference. As he turned and made his way towards the kitchen, Leo heard faint bopping and thumping.

Then glancing over his shoulder, he saw the figure of one of his brothers pummelling the dummy out of the corner of his eye. He turned, raising his hand slightly in greeting.

"Hey Raph-"

When Leo turned fully around, he cut himself off. His mouth dropped open and his eyes grew wide. It wasn't who he was expecting. After all, Raph normally beats up the dummy, but it was Mikey going at it.

Leo could scarcely believe his eyes. Mikey training? Alone? He didn't think it possible. However, the longer he stood there and watched, the more agitated he became. He thought about Donnie lying on that table and it made his blood boil. Though, if it kept Mikey out of everyone's way, then that was best. At least this way, he couldn't do anything that would make things worse.

He sighed and spun on his aching heels, then headed for the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee for April. Maybe he'd even pour a mug for himself, even though he usually preferred tea.

* * *

Mikey felt a surge of energy course through him at each strike. He swept his hand upwards and jabbed the side, right under where the armpit would be. The impact caused the dummy to swing to left, only to be met with a roundhouse kick.

 _Faster._

As the dummy swayed from the chain it was bound to, Mikey repeatedly slugged it with his clenched fists. His knuckles began to strain under the pressure, but he was going to withstand it. No matter how painful it got.

 _Suck it up and hit it harder._

His jaw tightened as he drew his arm back, and as he followed through the motion, he struck the head with an uppercut. It shot upwards, straining the chain. Mikey cupped his hands together and slammed it down before it even had a chance to fall back. The force of the impact caused the head to pop off the dummy and fall to the ground.

It bounced and rolled off to the side, but Mikey didn't care. He had to keep going. After all, the training dummy still had the rest of its limbs. Inhaling deeply, he eyed its chest and struck it with his the heel of his hand. The force jolted up his arm, and he felt his energy starting to seep away. He scolded himself, annoyed at his weakness.

 _You can do it. You wanna be strong as Raph right? So keep goin'!_

With a newfound determination, Mikey threw his leg upwards and planted it firmly in the center of the dummy. He gave it three sharp jabs to the chest then a more solid punch, sending the dummy twisting violently on its mount. However, he felt like that wasn't enough, and so, he grasped the shoulders and dug his knee into it. For another five reps, he did that until he resumed punching it.

His arms were becoming sore, causing his thrusts to weaken. He wasn't quite sure how long he had been going at it, but his body told him it had been an eternity. The muscles in his arms felt like rubber at this point, and as he tried to lift one, it trembled uncontrollably.

A scowl formed on his face at his weakness. After releasing a heavy breath, he stepped back and surveyed the damage to the training dummy. Not only had it been decapitated, but the body was beaten and the stitching threatened to give way. The arms had been torn as well as the legs, some of the stuffing spilling from the seams. At least he did some damage, but he would need to fix it up before Raph saw it.

As he turned towards the dojo to grab some equipment, he heard soft steps behind him. Mikey stopped in his tracks and waited. He wasn't sure if it was one of his brothers.

"Hey, Mikey," April's soft voice called out.

Something inside of Mikey stirred. He knew April had come to visit Donnie, and perhaps she would give him a piece of her mind as well. Honestly, he wasn't quite sure what to do. Sure, he could walk away and pretend that he didn't hear her, but at the same time she was their friend. He didn't think that he could avoid her for long.

No, he needed to withstand it.

Inhaling deeply, he turned and faced her. It took all of his willpower not to gasp, because her face nearly broke his heart. She had obviously been crying and it was all his fault.

"Uh hey, April," he replied, but he refused to look her in the eye.

April took note of this and walked up to him. Her face softened, but sorrow lingered in her deep blue eyes. Now that Mikey was up close and personal, he saw how puffy her eyes were and the redness that came along with it. Even her nose was a bright shade.

An awkward silence filled the air. Neither one of them knew what to say, but at least Mikey didn't sense any hostility from her. Although, he wasn't quite sure if he should comfort her. He felt like he didn't even have the right to do so.

Instead, he rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a tentative smile.

"So, how is he doin'?" he asked, slightly flustered, but mostly ashamed. She held his gaze.

"Well, he's not good obviously, but if Leo's convinced that he'll pull through, then so am I."

Mikey heard the tremor of uncertainty in her voice, in spite of her words. He cleared his throat awkwardly. He wheeled around and tilted his head back, hoping to get away.

"Yeah…well, I'm glad you got ta' see him. I gotta' go take care of somethi-"

"Wait!"

Mikey whipped his head back to face her. Her sudden cry had almost made him hop out of his skin. What could he possibly do for her that Leo or Raph haven't already?

A pressing frown formed on her face and she shifted her weight between her feet. Her eyes roamed the sight of the room before settling on him.

"Look, you really don't blame yourself for what happened, do you?" Her voice was kind and sympathetic.

He stiffened at the question, and then he bit into his lower lip. Out of anything they could have talked about, it had to be this. Mikey would have preferred if she had grilled him, not pity him. A few moments passed as he stood there in silence. He wasn't quite sure what to say. There wasn't an excuse he could even come up with, good or bad. Even if he did have one, it didn't matter anyway. It wouldn't change what had happened.

"Mikey?" she asked in a more aggressive tone.

Finally, he had to give it up. He sighed and slumped forwards, allowing his arms to hang.

"It's my fault April, and we all know it," he mumbled with his voice barely audible, practically drained.

"No, it's not," she objected with her face becoming, if possible, even more pained.

Anger started to skim beneath the surface of his mind. He closed his eyes and the image of Donnie lying on that table appeared once more, followed by the sight of him flying through the air and falling into the river. April couldn't understand. She wasn't even there, so how could she possibly know?

When he opened his eyes back up, his innocent face hardened.

"Yes it is and you can't tell me otherwise," his voice was cold and stern, as if unmoved by her sympathy. It was like he had built a high wall around himself, blocking out anyone who tried to reach him. It unnerved April and she drew back from him a little. His eyes flickered for a moment at her slight retreat, but the sternness returned as if it had never wavered.

Then before she could even say another word, he turned away from her and stormed towards the dojo. He heard her cry out his name, asking him to wait, but he simply ignored her. He couldn't withstand to see the look on her face any longer. But mostly, he wasn't in the mood to keep chatting.

His steps were uneven as he made his way up the dojo. He quickly slid the door open and practically slammed it shut behind him. There was a clouded uncertainty within his blue eyes, all characteristic brightness gone.

 _I'm sorry April. You'd blame me too if you were there…_

Seconds passed and all he could hear was his faint breathing. His heart had stopped pounding, not that it had really raced to begin with. But, at least it was something. All of his emotions were kept under control. No longer did he feel the need to cry, although everything felt so empty.

Mikey continued to stand there in idle, his shell pressed up against the door. His arms ached, but the ache was a good thing, something that he welcomed. After all, it was progress. The corners of his lips twitched at the thought. That was something Donnie would have said, if he were still conscious.

 _If only._

Finally, Mikey was tired of standing around. He really needed to patch up that dummy before Raph saw it. Though, at this point, he didn't care. It's not like it only belonged to Raph, but Master Splinter always said to clean up after yourself. Then taking light steps, he made his way to the equipment storage and began to rummage through it.

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **FaithfulWhispers:** Hey everyone! We are so happy for all the feedback we have recieved so far. Honestly, it makes us really, really excited and continues to drive us forward. I just want to thank you all for reading this installment, and I sincerely hope that you enjoyed it. Again, it's always a pleasure writing with Believer and I always have a blast with each chapter. *Huggles Believer*

 **BelatedBeliever:** *Huggles Faith* Thanks hon! It's been awesome working working with you too. Thank you everyone for reading and leaving us reviews. We've really enjoyed seeing what you all think and we hope that you continue telling us what you think! We hope you enjoyed and we will see you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

"Yame!"

Master Splinter's voice boomed across the dojo, stopping the training exercise in progress. Raph and Leo sheathed their weapons and knelt before their sensei.

Mikey sat at the side of the mat, waiting for his turn to face one of his brothers in combat. He had been eager for group training sessions to start again. He wanted to see how much he had improved on his own. After all, the past two weeks had been the closest thing to hell that Mikey had ever encountered.

Donnie was recovering, but the process was slow and grueling. Splinter and Leo had been conducting the healing mantras at least twice a day, but they didn't seem to be helping as much as they should. The damage was extensive and it was going to take more than a few spoken characters to completely heal him. Also, Donnie remained unconscious most of the time, only rousing for a few minutes at a time and that was only when April was present.

Raph had given Mikey a wide berth over the course of almost a week. Slowly, he lost his edge of outraged hostility. He relaxed his stance on keeping Mikey out of the lab, though he still supervised his visits with a protective glare. Leo, however, was proving to be more obstinate. He rarely talked to his little brother, only if he had to, and always kept a wary eye on him, no matter what he was doing.

Mikey didn't like his brothers looking over his shoulder, so he usually tried to visit Donnie in the dead of night, when his brothers were sleeping. He would talk to him about everything: Raph's outbursts, Leo's hostile silence, Splinter's aura of disapproval. Most of all, he talked about how worthless he was and how he would try to be a better ninja. That way, this would never happen to any of them ever again.

Today however, Master Splinter had announced that they needed to get back into shape and pick up their training where they had left off. Donnie was in April's capable hands, and Casey would be coming by later as well. Since they were an odd number, Splinter had Raph and Leo fight first, putting Mikey by the sidelines. Now, his sensei nodded in his direction.

"Leonardo, you will spar with Michelangelo."

Mikey gathered himself to his feet and walked out towards the center with Leo close behind. He could almost feel his brother's cold gaze piercing the back of his shell. Honestly, he was sick of it. After releasing a sigh, he got into a fighting stance as Leo drew his katanas before him. The way that his deep blue eyes flickered over him, contemptuous and patronizing, told Mikey that Leo did not consider him a threat.

 _We'll just see about that,_ he thought bitterly as he drew his nunchackus.

"Hajime!" Splinter barked and Mikey sprang into action.

His nunchakus spun violently as he dashed towards Leo. However, his brother merely side stepped him and jabbed his side with an elbow. Mikey rolled forward and regained his footing, then twirled around. He swept a nunchaku through the air and it collided with Leo's katana. The chain looped around the blade and Leo jerked the weapon out of his grasp. Growling with vexation, Mikey lunged again, his remaining nunchacku a blur in his hand. Striking upward, the handle made contact with Leo's chest, driving him backwards and knocking the wind out of him.

"Yame!"

Mikey ignored the command and struck out at Leo again. His brother grunted, but Mikey pushed onwards, sweeping in close to him to try and land a hit on his jaw. Before he could make contact, his brother skillfully twisted around and pressed himself against his shell. Leo's strong arms wrapped around him, securing his arms to his body. He struggled violently, trying to break the hold, but the grip was too strong.

"That is _enough_!" Splinter struck the hard floor with the end of his staff, the crack as cloud as a clap of thunder.

Leo released MIkey and straightened himself. Mikey stumbled forward as he regained his footing. There was something stirring in his blue eyes, but not the usual goofy shine. In fact, his face held an alien bitterness as he gave his older brother a crooked smile.

Leo stiffened and a puzzled scowl formed on his face. However, Mikey simply ignored it and turned away in order to walk back to his normal sitting position.

 _It's still not enough. I need to get better._

"I believe that that will be all for today, my sons," Splinter said as he looked over his sons' faces. Mikey could see the fatigue darkening his face and how his whole body slumped in a way that was uncharacteristic of him.

"Hai, sensei," the three brothers intoned simultaneously, bowing reverently before their sensei.

Mikey rose and left the dojo, leaving his brothers staring after him. Honestly, he wasn't interested in talking to them. All he wanted to do was see Donnie. Since he rarely gets alone time to visit him, he tried to make the best of the time he had.

As he made his way through the lair, his dark thoughts weighed heavily on his heart. He had been training relentlessly for these past couple of weeks, but he still couldn't best Leo. The sad part about that was the fact that Leo was worn out from all the time he spends with Donnie. Those healing mantras really drained the energy out of his brother as well as his Sensei.

A sigh passed his lips as the fight in the dojo replayed in his mind. He had been too antsy and jumped the gun. His strength wasn't wasn't enough, and he hadn't nearly been disciplined enough. Mikey thought he would have at least improved.

 _Progress doesn't just happen overnight, Mikey. You have to work at it and keep going before you see results_ , Donatello's voice played in his mind.

The corners of his lips twitched at the memory. Donnie was always willing to comfort him and at least humor him. Even when he wasn't 'here', he was still there for Mikey. His comforting voice from all the time they had spent together lingered within him.

As much as he had refused to believe Master Splinter's words at first, Mikey had finally realized that his spirit was always within him. Donnie would listen to him, and he would understand what he was going through. Just like how he always had.

Suddenly, he ran face first into Casey as he was coming out of the lab, knocking him off his feet.

"Woah!"

He stumbled, but quickly regained his balance and caught Casey before he fell to the ground. With a strong grip, Mikey helped him to his feet and made sure he was alright. His freckled cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. After all, he _is_ a ninja and he let his thoughts cloud his sense of the surroundings.

"Sorry, Casey," Mikey mumbled, refusing to meet the vigilante's eyes.

"It's no problem."

April then rushed to Casey's side after seeing what had happened. The door to the lab was left open, and Mikey could see light seeping out from the doorway. As much as he would have loved to stay and chat -which he really didn't- all he wanted was to see Donnie.

"Hi April," he said as he brushed passed her. Then he twirled around and said, "Bye, guys!"

"Wait a second!" April reached out and grabbed his arm. Mikey gently broke her hold on his arm, yet waited to hear what she had to say.

A moment passed and he heard her draw in a heavy breath. Then finally, she spoke. "Are you alright? You've been...kind of distant lately."

Mikey's stomach turned over. This topic again? He was fine. Seriously, why couldn't April see it? He was doing his best, and nothing he had been going through wasn't nearly as bad as Donnie's suffering.

Inhaling deeply, he rolled his shoulders and mumbled, "I'm fine. I just want to see D."

April didn't say another word, and so, Mikey walked up to the door and eased himself through the opening. However, as he began to close the door, he heard their faint whispers.

" _Why are you so worried, Red? He looks alright to me."_

" _Couldn't you see it, Casey? Mikey looks like he has lost some weight."_

" _Dude, he felt heavier when he crashed into me. Honestly, he looks just a little leaner."_

Mikey smirked at Casey's comment and decided he had heard enough. Sure, he felt bad for blowing April off, but she didn't understand. As he had constantly reminded himself, she wasn't there. She didn't see it.

As Mikey turned his head to gaze at Donnie laying on the table, he whispered out lightly, "It's my fault you're like this, bro."

Donnie didn't answer; either in defense of Mikey's actions or in their condemnation. He had been released from the oxygen mask five days ago and was able to somewhat comfortably breathe on his own. Even without the mask, his face still looked battered and pathetic. The purple bruises were now a murky yellow and the deep wounds were beginning to grow over with knotted scar tissue.

Mikey took small steps, the patters echoing throughout the lab. His heart twisted underneath his plastron as his blue eyes continued to linger on the wounds that lined Donnie's visible skin. His brother would carry those scars for as long as he lived.

Even though he was now able to comfortably breathe on his own, Donnie's face always looked pained; it was as if he was always laying there in agony. Mikey had asked his father if they could do anything for the pain a week ago, but no one knew what any of the drugs in his supply cabinet were, what they could be used for, or even how much to give him. No one wanted to accidentally cause him to overdose, and so, he had had to bear the full weight of the suffering without any chemical help.

In fact, he had to endure the full weight of Mikey's mistake. If he had just listened to Leo, this never would have happened. The very thought made his heart drop underneath his plastron, nearly falling into the pit of his stomach.

As Mikey stood over his brother, the familiar ache radiated throughout his chest. It was always so hard to see his brother like this, but he needed to withstand it. After all, Donnie needed him.

No, it was _he_ who needed Donnie.

 _Look Mikey, it's going to be alright. I promise._ His brother's comforting words drifted in his ears. Lately, he had been recalling a whole lot of what his brother would do for him. Each memory made him wish that he had at least appreciated his older brother a bit more than he actually had. Never would he have imagined that Donnie would be suffering; and for who knows how long?

 _This isn't your fault, Mikey,_ Donnie's voice assured him.

"Yes it is, Donnie. You don't have to try to make me feel better. I deserve whatever I get for hurting you."

 _You didn't hurt me, Mikey. It was Rahzar that stabbed me. It was Rocksteady that beat me in order to try to get me to cooperate. Bebop was the one who blew up the warehouse. They're the ones to blame, not you._

Suddenly, all the emotions that Mikey had kept under wraps during these weeks began to bubble up beneath the surface. His blue eyes flashed with a frigid intensity as he stared down at his brother's beaten face. He wanted nothing more than to make this right. To be there for him.

This was all his fault.

The memory of watching Donnie stand in the middle of those goons with bright, defiant eyes pressed down on him . As Mikey eased his eyes shut, he could literally see his scarlet blood dripping off his arm onto the floor. Then, the sight of his brother nearly losing consciousness in his arms as he tried to carry him away from the fight.

He could see Donnie's pained, almost frightened expression when he placed him in the hiding spot behind the crates. Then, the image of him flying through the air through the cloud of smoke flashed through his mind, like it had at least a hundred times before.

Mikey's body began to tremble as he relived these scenes over and over. Raph performing CPR, Splinter placing Donnie's broken body on the table, being yelled at by Raph, then lectured by Leo. All of it pressed down onto him, nearly suffocating him. He could feel himself drowning in all of his black feelings and memories.

Then, everything went black; calm even. All of his thoughts had dissipated within a fraction of a second at an alarmingly clear realization.

It was all _their_ fault.

They had been the ones who had kidnapped his brother. They had been the ones who had beaten him, no, bloodied him. They had been the ones that had held him captive, demanding him to make the retromutagen for them. And ultimately, they had been the ones to blow up the warehouse.

All because of their selfish wish of humanity.

Mikey slowly eased his eyes open and glared down at his hands. "I'll make them pay," he murmured under his breath.

Suddenly, he heard Donnie stir softly and saw his eyes flicker open. Mikey's heart leapt as his brother stiffly turned his head toward him.

"Hey Donnie," he said gently, leaning down closer to him. Donnie's red eyes scanned Mikey's face, slightly confused, but he seemed to be all there.

"Mikey? What's… what's going on?"

Hope flooded into Mikey as he clutched Donnie's casted hand in both of his. This was the most lucid that he had been since the explosion. He saw him wince at his touch, so he immediately withdrew his hands.

"How're you doin' bro?"

"Everything hurts," Donnie answered with a hard grimace.

When he shifted his weight, he sucked in a painful breath as hot tears sprang to his eyes. He released an agonizing gasp and closed his eyes, pushing the tears down his cheeks. Gently, Mikey wiped away the moisture with the back of his hand, tenderly mindful of the swelling under Donnie's eyes.

"Get some rest, D. I'm going to fix this. I swear." Mikey stood up, offering a reassuring smile to his brother.

Donnie opened his eyes and frowned significantly. "Fix? Fix what?" he asked with shallow breaths.

"You don't have to worry. Night...try and sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

Donnie merely nodded weakly, though he looked unconvinced. As he closed his eyes, his face became more relaxed, even though the pain was still imprinted on it. His breathing became slow, and more at ease. Perhaps his brother would sleep more peacefully tonight, despite the fact that he had to withstand the prison of his own body.

As Mikey turned away, the stony expression settled back on his face. Although he had just made such a promise to his brother, he wasn't quite sure how to start. Heck, he was barely able to take on an exhausted Leo, so how could he possibly withstand a fight with any of them?

 _I'll need to become a whole lot stronger._

To Mikey, that meant that he needed to be more like his brothers, and less like himself. Be strong and fearless like Raph, and wise and tactical like Leo. But at the same time, become stronger than the two combined in order to take on the likes of Rocksteady and Rahzar.

Once he did that, he would track them down. Then, he would get them back for what they had done to his beloved brother.

Determination welled up within the pit of his stomach, and his blood began to boil within his veins. Even if sensei had ceased the training session for today, that doesn't necessarily mean that he couldn't train on his own. Mikey decided that there would be no breaks, and definitely no short-cuts, in order to achieve his goal.

He then gave one last glance towards his brother, faintly smiling at the fact that his brother was doing at least a little better. But the moment he turned to face the door, the seriousness crept back onto his face. His blue eyes became that dark, dull shade, like the sea after a storm.

 _Now, it's time to get serious. No more games. No more jokes._

* * *

 **Authors' Notes**

 **BelatedBeliever** **:** Hey everyone! We sincerely hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks to you all for all of your support and to those who left us lovely reviews to read! *applause to the readers, and extra applause to Faith for awesome co-writing skills*

 **FaithfulWhispers** **:** *blushes* Awww, thanks dear! Well, I want also applaud Believer for the awesome job she did on the cover art for this fic. It looks great! I also want to thank all of our readers for the support. It really means a lot to us and it fuels our passion for writing. We seriously appreciate all, and we do mean all, the feedback we receive. Thanks again for reading, and we'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as we can. :)


	7. Chapter 7

The air felt frigid as the wind picked up speed, brushing against Mikey's freckled skin. Tension swirled all around him, seeping into him as he knelt on the tall building looming over a warehouse. It took every ounce of self-discipline to stay put and keep his eyes locked on his target below: The Purple Dragons.

He watched carefully as they lifted crates out of the back of a beat up, old white van. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to move, but no, he needed to be still for once. Patience was a virtue that he needed to learn; no, that he was desperate to learn.

After all these weeks of preparation, he felt like he was finally ready. He was tired of staying cooped up in the lair, so Mikey had decided that he would need to start gathering information on where he could find Bebop, Rocksteady and Rahzar. The best way for him to start was at the bottom. The Purple Dragons were the trash pickers of the city, so he refused to tear his eyes away. If anyone knew where to find the mutants, it would be the grunts doing the heavy lifting for them.

Inhaling deeply, he leaned a little further over the edge with his left leg supporting the bulk of his weight. The fierce growing winds tugged on the short tails of his bright orange mask, causing them to flap uncontrollably against the back of his head. There was a storm brewing, but that wasn't all that was coming-Mikey would make sure of that.

The youngest of the gang, a tall wiry kid with a skull cap, supported the end of one of the long wooden crates. One corner slipped out of his grip and the whole thing tipped to the side. The short blonde goon on the other side gave an inarticulate cry as he attempted to keep the crate from falling. A large man, obviously the leader, lumbered up to the kid and glared down at him. Mikey strained his hearing, hoping to get some sort of information that he could use.

"Watch it! That's some expensive cargo in those crates!" he complained as he checked the side of the crate for damages. "Hun would have all of our heads if anything is broken!"

"Sorry, boss," the kid grumbled sullenly, shifting his weight in order to more comfortably carry the crate. Together, he and his partner walked it off the truck and set it down on cobblestone surface of the alley. The boss just rolled his eyes and turned up the collar of his coat, blocking his face from the wind.

"Whatever. Just hurry up and get the guns unloaded. It looks like it's going to storm soon."

Mikey had heard just about enough. If he was going to get any information, he was going to have to go down there and get it himself. Putting pressure behind his legs, he leapt over the gap and caught onto the railings of the fire escape. The familiar flow of adrenaline pumped through his system as he skillfully swung through the air. Landing lightly on the fire escape landing, he used the momentum to propel himself into the air. He threw his discretion to the wind as he landed right in the middle of the group of thugs. They stumbled backwards, stunned surprise on each of their faces.

"It's one of the freaks!" the blonde goon screeched, his eyes widening to the size of saucers.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots! Kill the son of a bitch!"

Reaching into the waistband of his pants, the boss drew a snub-nosed pistol and pointed it in Mikey's direction. Mikey scoffed and whipped out his nunchakus. Within a split second, he released the chain and flung it at the gun. The chain wrapped around the weapon, and before the goon could even pull the trigger, he ripped it from his grasp. Without his gun, the boss looked uncertain for a fraction for a second. Then an expression of flustered outrage spread across his face. He charged forward, his fist clenched tightly.

 _Really?_ Mikey thought, _The guy's just gonna' come right at me?_

He swatted the guy aside like he were the world's largest mosquito before cracking him on the back of the skull with the wooden handle of his nunchaku. The man's legs buckled and he crashed to the ground with a loud groan.

"Shit!" The other gangster fumbled for his weapon in a panic, but Mikey was too quick for him. Before the guy could grasp his pistol, he lunged at him, his chucks spinning in a blur. The handles struck him across the face, sending a stream of blood flying against the white side of the van. When the guy stumbled away, holding his bloody mouth, Mikey laid him out with a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. He collapsed to the ground next to his boss, twitching slightly.

Standing slowly, Mikey turned on the last of the gangsters: the kid in the skull cap. The kid towered over him, but there was a look of pure fear residing in those copper eyes. With trembling arms, he drew a lead pipe out from behind and held it outwards, pointing towards the turtle in a pathetic attempt to keep him back.

Mikey sighed in exasperation, and then knocked the pipe out of the kid's hand as he pushed into his personal space. The pipe collided with the concrete, creating a loud metallic bang. The kid jumped with fear at the noise and began to tremble from his as he backed away. Mikey could hear the boy's whimpering, and the sound made his stomach turn. After all, he looked to be about the same age as he was, but this kid was a goon. Not only that, he was a goon that had possibly knew what he needed to know.

A clap of thunder broke out, and Mikey thrusted his arm forward and grabbed onto his shirt. Using hardly any of his strength, he flung him to the side and pinned him against the grimy alley wall.

"I'm lookin' for the big ole ugly mutants that worked for the Shredder, dirtbag."

"T-the S-sh-shredder?"

"You hard of hearing, twiggy?" Mikey leaned in closer, getting right in his face. He could feel the kid's hot, terrified breath on his face. His fear was almost tangible, hovering around him like a malicious aura.

"I-I don't know nothin' 'bout The Shredder. And I-I don't kn-know nothin' about mutants."

Mikey was losing his patience. He was getting pretty much nowhere with this kid. Raph and Leo were always able to get the information they wanted, so why couldn't he fish it out of this lowlife? Was he not forceful enough?

Suddenly, it clicked.

He needed to rough him up before he would even talk.

"Look, ya' better start talking or I'm gonna' have to hurt you," Mikey growled as menacingly as he could, narrowing his eyes at him.

However, the boy merely shook like a leaf in his clutches, not uttering a single word. In retaliation, Mikey lifted a clenched fist, holding it inches in front of his face. He hesitated for a moment as the image of Donnie lying on that table, broken and in crippling pain, crept back into his mind. His arm began to tremble as he pulled it back, preparing to strike. The boy shrank back, closing his eyes tight, preparing himself for the incoming blow.

A few seconds passed, and nothing happened. Mikey just stood there with his arm shaking violently. His knuckles were white with the tightness of his clenched fingers. He willed himself to hit him. He needed to find Rahzar, Bebop and Rocksteady. He needed to set things right and make them pay. He needed to force this guy to talk. It was the only way!

However, after staring into his terrified face, he found that couldn't do it. He couldn't just pummel a defenseless kid. It wasn't right, even if he was a Purple Dragon. Cursing his weakness, he pushed the kid toward the mouth of the alley. He stumbled, nearly falling on his face as he regained his footing.

"Get out of here," Mikey ground out.

The boy just stared at him, perplexed. His scrutiny grated on Mikey's already raw nerves, causing him to twist up his face in disgust. Here he was, already failing at interrogation, but now this kid was rubbing it in his face? How many more will people continue to look down on him?

 _You're useless…_

 _Give it up Mikey, you can't handle it._

Suddenly, something within Mikey snapped. His eyes flickered to that dark shade, void of any light. Then with a clenched jaw, he marched right up to him. The boy shrank back, but refused to run or even look away.

Thunder boomed loudly, followed by a flash of lightning. The bright flash of light illuminated Mikey's hardened scowl, making it look almost sinister.

"Didn't ya' hear me? Do ya' _want_ a beating?"

With a gasp, the boy turned and sprinted out of the alley, not looking back. Mikey turned with a growl and punched the brick wall with all of his strength. _Ever the screw-up._ His knuckles stung sharply, and when he pulled his arm back, there were bright red gashes ran across the rough surface of his skin.

Then, the first hesitant drops of rain fell on his head and streaked down his cheeks. The singular droplets increased in intensity until the rain became a heavy downpour. His body felt cold as each drop collided with him. As time passed, the tails of his mask sunk downwards from the weight.

Yet again, he had screwed up and couldn't deny it.

 _How come it was always easy for my older brothers to do these things?,_ he wondered to himself silently. Biting into his lower lip, he tilted his head upwards to receive the incoming onslaught of rain. His mask was becoming more and more soaked as the water cascaded down his skin.

Honestly, he didn't want to go home. Even though he had promised Donnie this morning that he would come to visit, he couldn't bear the thought of even standing before him with more failure weighing heavy on his heart.

These last few weeks he had been so determined, but the old, childish Michelangelo that screws everything up kept climbing back up to the surface. It had been hard committing to being serious. Sometimes, he saw the opportunity to pull a prank or crack a joke, and the temptation to indulge in that kind of goofy behavior would be too great. However, whenever he would see his brothers roll their eyes or hear their derisive words, he would wise up and remember that he needed to change. To be strong, in mind as well as in body.

He couldn't allow himself those luxuries. Not anymore.

The rainwater that had collected in the threads of his mask became too heavy and the material slid down his face until it settled around his neck like a collar. Mikey didn't bother replacing it; he didn't see the point in it.

As another jolt of lightning tore through the sky, he decided that he couldn't linger in the alley anymore. He should at least go somewhere where he wasn't in plain view. He jumped up and grabbed the rungs of the ladder leading to the fire escape. The rungs were slippery, so he slipped off on the first try. The second attempt was more successful, and then, he clambered up the fire escape to the roof.

He found himself looking over the city, the rain still pelting his head and shoulders mercilessly. How was he supposed to be strong, when he couldn't even wail on a punk? Raphael would have done it in a heartbeat. Mikey's hot breath puffed out in soft clouds within the cold rain, and his eyes were glazed over.

Staring out into the empty space before him, he tuned in to the sound of the rain drizzling down to the ground all around him. Its soothing cadence thumped within his ears, but no matter how hard he tried, the steady flow of emotions would not cease.

 _I'm sure the goons would never ever go easy on any of us. I mean, Donnie was beaten up 'cause he wouldn't cooperate._

His brothers had never shown him any leniency in combat during training. Only when Splinter commanded it. Sure, their sensei taught them that showing mercy was important, but their enemies would never show any. Donnie nearly died because of their ruthless disregard for anyone's lives but their own.

Within moments, Mikey had one clear thought that ran through the depths of his mind. He could never show any mercy. Not when it came to his family. Their enemies were still out there, and they won't stop at anything to harm, no, kill them.

And so, he couldn't allow that. Not after nearly losing his beloved brother. In order to defeat them, needed to be ruthless, to put aside pity and never use restraint.

The echoing explosion of thunder snapped him out of his reverie and he blinked the water out of his eyes. The storm was getting worse as it became increasingly difficult to see through the heavy rain.

As much as he hated it, he needed to get home. If he stayed out too late, his family would start asking a lot of unnecessary questions, and Mikey didn't feel in the mood to be interrogated. Making sure his nunchakus were in place, he jogged to the ledge and sprung to over the alley to the next building.

Each time his foot made contact with the ground, water splashed up all around him and collided with his legs. The ache from his last training session had faded, he suddenly realized as he pushed himself through the rain. In fact, he felt like he was actually moving faster. Perhaps, he was finally starting to get results due to the extra sessions. This was the first time he had been out in weeks, so maybe he just hadn't seen it before.

His feet picked up in speed at the thrill of progress. Maybe he _was_ actually getting stronger. After he was sure that everyone was asleep, he would use Raph's dumbbell set and test his limits. Maybe that would develop his muscle mass more than just running through katas or beating up the stuffed dummy.

After all, Rocksteady could easily flatten him, so he needed to give it his all. Focusing his thoughts on his enemies' strengths, it occurred to him that he might also need to train in being more agile and fast to stay one step ahead of Bebop's lasers and Rahzar's claws.

Now was a good time to start as any. The rain would prove to be a hazardous obstacle, but he would make the most of it. He would push himself to the limit to get home as fast as he could. Abandoning all caution, he sprinted forward as fast as his legs would take him. He felt like he was flying as he sprung from rooftop to rooftop, racing the lightning as it streaked across the pitch black sky.

As he ran through the raging storm, it felt like all of the weight on his shell was being washed away. He felt faster, stronger, and more energetic as he lept across another gap. However, the downpour grew, making it nearly impossible to see. His feet were starting to slide from the inches of water collecting on the rooftops, and he tried to hardest to keep the water from spilling into his eyes.

Then, he reached a fairly large gap. The building was significantly shorter from across the back street. It was going to be difficult for Mikey to estimate the strength and control he needed to make the jump from all the water. However, he took a few step backs and inhaled deeply. His eyes then focused his vision as best as they could, and he used the muscles in his legs to propel himself forward. A rush of excitement flooded through him as he felt himself soar through the rain.

When he touched down on the opposite side, he felt his feet slip out from under him. With a gasp, he tumbled across the slick surface, the gravel scraping his arm. He came to a screeching halt at the ledge, slamming his shell into the concrete barrier. His breathing was shallow as he realized he could have seriously hurt himself if he hadn't been able to stop himself. He then took in steady breaths and relaxed himself as he backed away from the ledge.

Leaning against the wall beside him, Mikey grimaced against the stinging cuts that streaked down the length of his arm. There was no significant damage, but it still was an irritating thing to happen. As he steadied himself, he looked back the way that he had come. He swelled with pride when he saw just how far he had come in such a short amount of time before falling.

A sigh passed his lips as he wiped some more water from his eyes. The nearest manhole cover leading to the lair should be around the back of the building. With a bit more caution this time, he climbed down the building and made his way to the cover. The rain poured down into the holes, making the edges slick. However, he slid it off and climbed down inside, pulling the cover back over him.

* * *

As he hopped over the turnstiles, Mikey saw Leo sitting in front of the television, watching an old episode of Space Heroes. He had made it home before their normal curfew, but he thought it was strange to see his older brother sitting in the pit. Usually, he spends his free time with Donnie. Was he waiting for him to come back? Was he waiting to lecture him?

Then again, maybe he was just exhausted and needed a break. Deciding it was better to just go to the bathroom and clean up, Mikey picked up his feet, trying to move without making a sound.

"Where have you been?"

Mikey's head shot up and he stared dumbfoundedly at the back of his brother's head. He hadn't even turned around, so how did he know he was there?.

"Nowhere," he said evasively as he continued moving on, not bothering to be stealthy anymore. Leo stood and his eyes widened as he stared at the water pooling under Mikey's feet.

"And why are you _wet_?" Leo's voice was incredulous and Mikey grit his teeth against the embarrassment building in him.

He could just ignore Leo and leave without replying, but his brother was too stern to let that happen. Sucking in a quick breath of air, he glanced down at his feet and watched as droplets slid down between his toes.

"Why do you care? Raph gets to go out all the time with Casey."

Leo's eyes narrowed as he stood and walked up to him.

"Yeah, but Raph doesn't come home soaking wet and trailing water everywhere."

When Mikey didn't say anything, Leo scrutinized him more carefully. He had heard April mention something about him looking different, almost skinny, and now that he was actually looking at him, he had to agree. Was Mikey starving himself for some reason? Leo couldn't remember the last time he had seen him eat a slice of pizza, or anything heavier than a sandwich. He hadn't been paying as much attention as he should have.

Most of his attention these days had been focused on making sure Donnie was comfortable, or at least, as comfortable as possible. Maybe he had been neglecting Mikey a little. After all, he'd been having as rough a time as the rest of them.

Releasing a heavy breath, Leo softened his face. "You know, you've been acting really weird lately."

Finally, Mikey had enough. Scrunching up his face, he lifted his head and stared Leo directly in his eyes. Anger clouded in his blue eyes as he locked gazes with those probing indigo eyes. His heart rate began to pick up, and his blood started to boil. Every nerve within him crawled with frustration, and he just couldn't take anymore.

"Why don't ya' get off my shell for once, Leo?" Mikey suddenly barked with a booming voice.

Leo flinched at the sudden outburst. Mikey watched as his face went from a look of surprise to disturbed within a split second. Something within his eyes stirred as his eldest brother bit into his lip. Honestly, he hadn't seen that expression in ages.

Was Leo about to pity him? No, he wouldn't put up with that; especially with all that had happened. Deciding that he didn't want to listen, he turned on his heel, nearly slipping on the pool of water. He just wanted to be anywhere else but there, and so, he marched right up to the steps leading to their bedrooms.

As Mikey pushed open the door to the restroom, his heart was pounding against his plastron like a huge kettle drum. He slammed the door with more force than was necessary and the echo rang off the walls mercilessly. Then grasping his mask, he ripped it from around his neck with a sudden jerk, the knot unravelling with little resistance. The cloth was dripping with water, and it felt significantly more heavy than usual. Holding it over the sink, he wrung the excess water out and watched it spiral down the drain.

The rest of his gear felt heavy and soaked through with rainwater, so he dropped the mask into the sink and proceeded to remove his bandages. As he unwrapped them, he saw how much water had actually collected in them; it wasn't a surprise that he had dragged in so much water.

Once all of his wraps, pads, and belt, were discarded, he stepped over towards the shower. He really needed to clean himself up. There was mud clinging to his green freckled skin from the fall and blood trickling from the scrapes on his arm.

He turned the dial on the shower and watched the steady stream of water shoot out of the showerhead. Steam began to rise as he waited for the heat to turn up. After a few seconds, the water was to his liking, and he climbed inside. The hot water felt soothing against his dinged up skin, and his stress seemed to flow away like a slow river current.

As the water continued to pelt against his plastron, he lifted up his arms and pressed against the wall. His brow rested against his fists as he eased his eyes shut. The kid's copper colored eyes flashed across his mind, terrified and disbelieving, and his jaw clenched tightly at the memory.

 _I should have done it. I shouldn't have allowed him to get away. Now, I'll have to track down more Purple Dragons…_

Then releasing a soothing breath, he pushed away the damage had been done and he had learned from it. He had time, plenty of it in fact, but as his mind started to wander once more, his stomach tightened. Donnie was the one that had to bear it all while those monsters were out roaming freely.

Once again, he focused on his breathing. Inhaling deeply, then releasing it in a steady stream. He couldn't spend all night in there, so he grabbed the bar of soap and proceeded to wash himself over. The cuts stung as he cleaned them, but he didn't mind. After all, it was nothing.

Afterwards, he lingered in the shower for a long moment then turned the knob, stopping the flow of water. He walked over past the sink and grabbed the towel hanging on the towel bar, but he caught a glance towards the fogged up mirror. With hesitant fingers, he wiped away the moisture and stared into the opaque reflection of his light blue eyes.

His face looked different to him, even his eyes seemed alien to him. His jaw looked a bit more defined, and the pudginess of his cheeks was nearly nonexistent. As he trailed his eyes down towards the reflection, he realized he hadn't really looked at himself in while. It had been close to two months since the accident, and yet, he hadn't felt all that much different.

But, the signs were all there. His muscles looked more cut and he definitely looked a little leaner. The earlier notion that his training had paid off was correct. His shoulders were broader, and probably in the shadows, he would be mistaken for Raph. It was a good start, but he still had a long way to go.

 _You know, you've been acting really weird lately._

At the sound of Leo's voice, Mikey twisted his face in a hard grimace. What would Leo know? All he ever did lately is look down on him. He wasn't acting _'weird'_ , he was becoming stronger, no, better. He was doing this for him, for Raph, and for Donnie. He had to make sure that none of them would be hurt because of his actions ever again.

Turning away from his reflection, he stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He heard the white noise of the Space Heroes episode coming from the living room and supposed that Leo had gone back to watching television. At least he wasn't waiting for Mikey so that he could get on his case again. He was cutting him a break for once, it seemed.

Since Leo was still up, he would have to wait to use the weight set. Somehow, training while his brothers were gaping at him threw off his concentration. Solitude granted him the best opportunity to do what he needed to do. Once the lair was quiet and settled, he could get to work.

 **Authors' Notes**

 **FaithfulWhispers** **:** Hey everyone! I just want to thank you all so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites. Y'all are just awesome and we absolutely appreciate the support. Honestly, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It's a bit longer than what we normally put out, but we had so much fun writing it. Believer has been amazing and I always enjoy working on each chapter with her. Please continue to provide us with feedback, since we do appreciate every single one. *High fives Believer for an awesome job.*

 **BelatedBeliever:** *High fives Faith* Thank you hon, and great job to you as well! And thank you all for taking the time to read our story and give us feedback. I can't tell you how much it means to us! Faith drew some amazing art as a teaser for this chapter. If you haven't seen it, go check it out on her tumblr page. We also want to thank Poetique-Justyce for giving us a shout-out in her latest chapter. If you have not read 'Logic of the Soul', you all should! It's amazing! Thank you all again for reading, and we will see you next time!


	8. Chapter 8

The faint sounds of squeaking rang through the air, echoing from the lab. Mikey could hear a slight groan and a stifled cry as he drank from a full glass of water. His throat was dry from the day's activities, but they weren't over yet. Donnie's day had only just begun, and as much as Mikey was happy for him, the pain within his chest weighed down on him like a millstone around his neck.

Once he downed the water completely, he set the cup in the sink and sighed. Honestly, he wanted to go out and be anywhere but here. He felt so cramped underground; so stifled by the atmosphere as well as the slate grey walls on all sides. Not to mention, he felt like he was always in the way when he was in the lair. At least when he was on the surface, he was productive, or at least as productive as he could be. It was much needed time away from his older brothers, to say the least.

Over the last week, Leo had kept giving him awkward glances, and even tried to say something a few times, but always seemed to decide against it. Every time Mikey was in the room, he saw Leo whispering to Raph, casting fervent glances in his direction. Raph didn't seem to take whatever Leo was saying seriously, judging from his sarcastic replies and sardonic eye rolls. Mikey shook himself from his deep thoughts and noticed that the squeaking grew louder.

Mikey then took small steps and peered around the corner to see what his brothers were up to. At the sight of his brother being wheeled out of the darkness of his lab, he couldn't help but catch his breath. Donnie looked pale, emaciated, and very small in the wheelchair that Leo had drug home from the dump. Raph had tucked a blue blanket decorated with duckies around the casts of his legs and was pushing him across the lair, speaking softly to him as they rolled along. Donnie said something that Mikey couldn't hear, but apparently it was pretty funny because Raph threw his head back and laughed jovially. Donnie smiled weakly as he was wheeled toward the pit.

Then parking the chair behind the sofas, Raph engaged the wheel locks and grabbed a pillow to sit on the floor next to Don. He picked up the remote and said something to his brother. When he answered, Raph changed the channel without argument to an old Super Robo Mecha Force Five rerun.

Mikey felt a pang of jealously course through him as he listened to his brothers' light words and laughter. It was probably at his expense anyway, so why did he want to go be with them so badly? He had only wanted to make sure that Donnie was feeling okay. Now that he had, he might as well move on to something productive, but yet, he couldn't bring himself to move. He only stood there and watched them.

Master Splinter had given his permission for Donnie to be moved around this morning, which roused a small celebration through the lair. His injuries were no longer life threatening, but he would have to wear the casts for a while longer, from what Mikey had gathered from his sensei. Now that Donnie was able to tell them which of the pain pills were safe for him to take, he could now take enough to take the edge off the pain. If anything, this gave Mikey the greatest comfort. At least his brother wasn't wallowing in agony anymore.

However, he still had a long way to go. Any physical activity was still way out of his reach, and the things that brought Donnie joy before, like inventing, mechanics and other sciency stuff of the sort, he could no longer do. He couldn't even really take care of himself without the assistance of another. He always looked really embarrassed when he had to ask one of his brothers to take him to the bathroom. Mikey's heart ached at the thought of it and he wanted to go and be there for him.

But once again, Mikey had been pushed to the sidelines while Raph and Leo did all the work getting Donnie mobile again. When he had made tentative offers to help, they had just brushed him off like a pesky housefly. They didn't show him as much malice as they had even a month before, but there was a bite to their words that struck him on the raw. Therefore, when Donnie was brought out out of the lab, Mikey just watched from a distance.

As the minutes stretched on, Mikey noticed that Donnie's face looked increasingly pained, even with the assistance from his medication. His reddish-brown eyes were brimming with sadness, and he could literally see how his spirit was broken. Deep down, he knew his brother wanted to be working on some invention or typing away on his laptop, not watching television. However, he was bound to that chair with the ability to hardly move at all.

Disgust ran through the pit of his stomach as he thought about the accident. He hadn't been able to gather any real information about the mutants, but he knew those three were out there somewhere. For all Mikey knew, they could be planning something else. Probably waiting for his brothers to show themselves, giving the mutants the opportunity to destroy them. His eyes lingered on his brother's pale face, illuminated from the white glow of the television screen. His scars also had an eerie sheen to them, but the wounds had closed for the most part.

Sometimes though, he would find himself wondering if Donnie would ever be the same. Those freaks had caused so much damage to his life, but yet, they were out there, enjoying their freedom. Mikey's stomach continued to churn and a hard lump formed in his throat. Frustration ran its course through his muscles, digging into each fiber. He couldn't stand to see him this way, nor did he know what to even say to him. And so, he tore his eyes away and proceeded to walk on across the lair, without even uttering a single word.

He felt Raph's hot glare on the back of his neck as he strode by them. Donnie's weak voice called out to him, but Mikey's mind was buzzing with the intensity of an angry hornet's nest. He needed to vent all the negative feelings churning within him, so he brushed off his brother's entreaties. Keeping his focus solidly on the door to the dojo, he pushed the divider aside and shut it behind him.

 _Finally, some peace and quiet._

Inhaling deeply, Mikey proceeded further into the room, his feet pressing firmly into the mats. His eyes wandered around the edges, but in the end, he grabbed the bamboo blocks from their place in the corner and arranged them strategically around the dojo.

He had been doing special exercises in order to increase his agility, and had improved by leaps and bounds, so to speak. Then balancing on the first block, he ran the course with energy pulsing through his system. Each leap, twist, and flip was executed with graceful and precise movements. He reached the ending-point with an acute feeling of dissatisfaction flowing through him.

Mikey huffed impatiently. The course had become too easy. He had run it so often that he had mastered it. _Time to spice it up a little._ Turning his mask so that the soft material covered his eyes, he blocked out the light from his vision. Once he no longer had to depend on his sight, his other senses felt intensified. He leapt into space, landing squarely on the first block. His toes hugged the rigid wood as he steadied himself. Grinning in triumph, he leapt again, this time throwing in neat front flip before making his descent.

"What the hell was _that_ about?"

Suddenly, Mikey's flow of concentration shattered, scattering out beyond his reach. His toe barely scraped the block, and the next thing he knew, he felt his shell slamming into the tatami mats. He groaned with annoyance and ripped off his mask, throwing his sharp gaze towards the voice in question.

Raph stood in the doorway, his arms crossed and his expression enigmatic. There was a strange mixture of annoyance, disappointment and confusion etched on his face.

"What do you want, Raph?" Mikey asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Don't you use that tone with me, Mikey," Raph warned dangerously, "Didn't you hear Donnie calling you? He really wanted to see you."

Mikey felt the old guilty twinge flare up again at the mention of Donnie, but he wouldn't let himself be pushed around because of guilt. Not anymore. He turned away from Raph, picking up the overturned blocks.

"Tell him I'll catch up with him later. I'm kinda in the middle of something, if ya' didn't notice."

Raph raised an eye ridge at him. This kind of attitude wasn't normal, at least not for Mikey. This was the kind of thing that he would expected out of himself, or Leo on a bad day. Mikey should be cracking wise-ass jokes and making a nuisance of himself, not secluding himself in the dojo. It wasn't the first time Raph had noticed this kind of strange behavior out of his little brother, but he had always brushed it off because he was more concerned with Donnie. Now that he was here, face to face with Mikey, he could see that something was seriously off.

"That's another thing. You've been acting like a real tool lately. What the hell is your deal?"

Mikey scoffed and shook his head slightly. Raph was wasting his time; time that he could be making himself better. Why wouldn't he just leave him alone?

A heavy breath passed his lips as he lifted up another block. He could still feel his brother's eyes on him, piercing him. Finally, he rolled his eyes, then tilted his head towards him and replied, "My _deal_ is that I'm trying to train, and you're bothering me."

Raph was so surprised by the retort that he laughed harshly, though he found nothing funny about the situation.

" _I'm_ bothering _you_?" he said incredulously, dropping his crossed arms. "Maybe _I_ am bothered by the fact that you are being a huge dick to Donnie, who nearly died because of _you_!"

Mikey's face twisted, grimacing from his brother's accusation. Then clenching his fingers into a tight fist, he felt his rage boiling like a geyser, shooting through his core. He was sick of this. He was sick of the non-stop aggression. But most of all, he was sick of his brothers and their bull crap.

He was trying his _hardest_. Wasn't that enough for them?

Swallowing down the burning rage within him, Mikey's mouth became a hard line. A moment of silence passed, and then he wet his lips, throwing a weary glance at his hotheaded brother.

"I don't care what bothers ya' and I really don't need ta' hear you say something I already know. 'Cause, you're just a giant dick yourself, and not to mention a giant joke."

The familiar indignant fire ignited behind his brother's bright green eyes. He gnashed his teeth as he lumbered up to Mikey, towering over him. Mikey didn't flinch, just met his irate gaze with his cold, almost indifferent stare.

That stare was so far removed from the little brother he had always known and loved, it gave him the creeps. Instinctively, he lashed out against the source. He shoved Mikey roughly, making him stumble backwards. Raph was astonished by the fact that he had to use more strength than usual to push him as he watched his little brother stabilize himself.

Leo had mentioned earlier that Mikey may have been hurting himself and probably wasn't getting enough nutrients. He hadn't really pay attention at the moment because he was busy with making sure that Donnie had something to eat. But as he stood here, he realized that Leo had been so very wrong. There was no way that Mikey could've been starving himself. In fact, he really had beefed up in the past few months.

His eyes continued to trail up the defined muscles of his limbs, and he had wondered exactly what he was actually doing to himself. But, when he focused on the bitter look on his little brother's face, he figured he was about to find out. His eyes had told him that he had definitely pushed Mikey too far, and felt his stomach turn over with remorse.

A moment passed with tension bristling within the air, causing Mikey to feel his self-control threatening to bend, no, break. It wasn't just the fact that Raph had pushed him that pissed him off. It was also the look on his face when he had regained his footing. The confusion and concern he had expressed set him on the defensive. Raph had no right to be looking at him like that!

Why couldn't everyone just mind their own damn business?

Then Mikey cracked his neck as his fighter's instincts to kick in. He had had enough. All of the suppressed anger he had struggled to contain throughout the day, no weeks, was boiling over. Everything in him was itching and screaming for him to fight back, and so, he had decided that he would finally give into those urges. It was the only language that Raph understood, and so, he planned on sticking it to him.

Clenching his fist, he swung at Raph with everything he had. He was so taken aback that he didn't even think to dodge the incoming blow. Mikey's fist connected with the side of his face, and it felt like he had been hit with the broad side of a hammer. The impact knocked him off on his feet and he fell to the mats in a slight daze. He could hear Mikey panting heavily above him and that was when he really lost his temper.

He sprang to his feet and hurled himself at Mikey. The younger turtle had started to turn away, believing that he had won. Raph used this opportunity to aim a jab at the back of his head to repay him for the punch to the face. Before he could make contact, Mikey dropped and swept his leg under Raph's feet. He fell back on his shell, but quickly recovered his footing. Enraged that the little prick had knocked him down not once but twice, he roared and swung blindly at his face.

Mikey blocked the oncoming blows, swatting them aside with the back of his wrists. When he found an opening, he punched Raph hard in the stomach. A sharp pain jolted up his arm from his knuckles colliding with the hard surface of his plastron.

His brother then scrunched his face up as he sucked his teeth in agitation. There was no way he was going to allow this little punk get the better of him, and so, he grappled his shoulders and kneed him hard in his plaston. The breath had been knocked right out of Mikey's lungs, but he held his ground.

As he struggled to catch his breath, Raph wound up to deliver the finishing strike. Mikey caught the fist at the last moment and twisted it away. This didn't deter Raph at all. When he grabbed at him again, they locked hands as his older brother tried his utmost to restrain him, pin him, and possibly, humiliate him. But, he refused to submit to him.

He wouldn't let Raph play "Does Mikey Bend That Way?".

Not this time and never again.

However, his arms trembled violently under the strain of staying in control, since Raph was still significantly stronger than he was.

But, little did he know, Raph actually felt himself exerting more effort than he ever thought he would have to with him. As he clenched his fingers tighter, he twisted them back, causing his little brother to cringe with pain. The split second of distraction allowed for him to clutch Mikey's arm tightly. Raph then used his weight to pull Mikey towards him and used the momentum to throw him over his shoulder. Only, instead of making impact, he had felt a hard kick to his shell.

Twisting around, he saw that Mikey was watching him carefully while he stood firmly on both feet. His fists were raised, prepared for whatever Raph might throw at him. Raph looked like he was about blow his stack, even more than he actually had. The bright green irises had been cloaked by white; showing that he was in complete battle mode. Somehow, his brother's display of unbridled anger made Mikey want to laugh. And he did.

His laughter echoed off the walls of the dojo, harsh and mirthless. Raph's eyes returned to normal as he recoiled from the sound. He was seriously freaked out now. He stared dumbfounded as Mikey regained control of himself and smirked at him with disgusting contempt.

What the hell had happened to his little brother? Who was this guy?

Mikey then shook his head as he stepped out of his battle stance. His bulkier muscles eased, and his posture relaxed. "Thanks for the workout, Raph," he stated cheekily with a wink.

Raph's jaw dropped at the sudden change of emotion. However, as he stared into those blue eyes, he noticed that the glimmer of the goofball wasn't there. There was seriously something wrong; his brash words and actions were evidence of that. As he lifted his hand to reach out to his little brother, Mikey back stepped out of his reach. His emotionless face looked back at him for a moment before he turned away and sprinted out the exit.

If anything, Mikey couldn't stand to be around Raph any longer.

As his feet pounded against the cold concrete floor of the lair, he felt bitterness stewing within him. Raph's voice echoed behind him, but he didn't care. Honestly, he just needed to breathe in the night air to clear his head. As he jogged through the dank sewers, the buzzing in his ears grew louder.

He needed to calm down; to get his control back. Mikey had lost his temper entirely too easily. He shouldn't have let Raph get under his skin like that. Instead of giving into his anger, he could have ignored him and eventually he would have gotten bored and left.

It was over; the damage had been done.

 _Aw man, I'm up against Mikey? This will be cake._

 _Mikey, quit being so useless._

 _It's all your fault!_

As Mikey recalled his brother's harsh words and humiliation, disdain skimmed the surface of his mind. Perhaps, he shouldn't feel so bad. After all, Raph had it coming for a long time anyways. It was about time that he stood up to him.

But in the end, Raphael wasn't the one he wanted to fight. Even though he wasn't willing to admit it, he wouldn't have been able to win against him. Well, at least not without getting pummeled himself, and the last thing he needed were any injuries.

His main goal was Bebop, Rocksteady, and Rahzar. If he took out their other enemies along the way, then that was fine. After all, his family's safety was his priority, not some petty scuffle. Though, it did feel good to actually stand up for himself, even though he didn't actually win.

He pushed open the manhole cover and looked around the alley. Seeing no one, he climbed out and replaced the cover. The night was cool and still. Mikey lifted his face to the sky, smiling at the solitude that surrounded him. Being up on the surface had felt so much better than being trapped down in the lair. Especially with Raph and Leo getting on his case lately.

Releasing a soothing breath, he stretched his arms over his head and felt some of the tension seep away. Though, his nerves were still itching for him to hit something. Honestly, he hadn't realized how agitated he had been until tonight.

Then Mikey stared up at the foggy sky, and noticed that there was not a star in the sky. His mind began to wander, and he wasn't quite sure what he'd do next. But then suddenly, he heard a rigid creak up the alley and he immediately locked his attention on a door not too far away.

The handle of the heavy metal door turned stiffly. His instinct not to be seen kicked in and he ducked behind the dumpster a few hundred feet away. It was probably just a worker taking out the trash, but he watched anyway, just to be certain.

A short bald man stepped out of the door and leaned up against the brick wall of the building. He tapped at his pack of cigarettes, taking one in his fingers. Mikey watched the faint orange glow of the lighter as the guy lit up. When he lifted his chin to blow the smoke into the night sky, Mikey saw the dark purple tattoo of a spiraling dragon on the side of his neck.

 _Purple Dragon._

He couldn't help but smile at his good fortune. He hadn't been on the surface for ten minutes and one of them had just fallen into his lap. Silently, he crept up to the man, drawing his nunchaku from its holster with little sound. When the man's cigarette burned down to the filter, he dropped it to the pavement and ground it out with his toe. Mikey had to make his move. If he waited any longer, the goon might get away and he would have missed another opportunity.

He struck the guy across the back of the head with the wooden handle of his weapon. With a groan, he sank to his knees, holding the back of his head protectively. Reaching down, Mikey grabbed the goon by the collar of his shirt, pulling him to his feet.

"What the fuck?" the man protested as he grasped at the hand that clutched his shirt. Mikey slammed the guy hard against the wall to show that he meant business. His heart was still pumping hard from the adrenaline caused by his fight with Raph.

"I want the mutants who worked for the Shredder."

"The Shredder is gone, freakshow."

The goon didn't seem afraid of him at all. For a fleeting moment, Mikey thought that once again, he wouldn't be able to get anything by acting tough. Still, he needed to try. To accomplish his goals, he needed to give it his all. He kept his expression cold as he glared into the man's narrow eyes.

"I didn't ask about the Shredder. The mutants who worked for him are the ones I'm after."

The man laughed scornfully at him. _Imagine that, someone besides my brothers thinks I'm a big joke,_ Mikey couldn't help thinking ruefully to himself.

"That guy had a whole fuckin' zoo workin' for 'im. Only the dog, the pig and the rhino got out of the building before it burned to the ground."

Mikey scrunched his face in annoyance. The guy was beating around the bush and deliberately avoiding the question. Why did everyone want to get under his skin lately? It was getting really, really aggravating.

Then clenching his jaw, he got right in his face, his blue eyes dark with malice.

"Where are they?"

Defiantly, the goon spat in his face. The wet, slimy saliva ran down his his freckled skin, and Mikey frowned with disgust as he rubbed his cheek against his shoulder.

 _That's it._

Leaning back, he yanked the guy close to him and rammed his chin into his knee pad. Then as the goon cupped his jaw, Mikey hoisted him upwards and made two sharp jabs into his stomach. He cried out as he slid down to the ground, holding his midsection.

"Willing to talk now?"

But, the guy tore his eyes away and curled into himself, shuddering in pain. Mikey's temper was only fueled by his pitiful attempt to defy him. He thrusted his arm forward and slammed him against the brick wall once more. Getting in close so he couldn't run, battered him with both fists across his face and chest. A thrill shot through his body as he made each strike with increasing ferocity, and eventually, he whipped him across the jaw with his nunchaku. Blood spluttered from his lips, spraying against the side of the building as his head snapped hard to the right. Mikey knew that he had had enough, even though he really wanted to keep clobbering him.

It was then that he understood why Raph was so eager to hand out these beatdowns. Releasing all this pent-up anger on this goon felt great, and deep down, he wanted him to keep giving him reasons to throw punches. However, he needed that info a whole lot more than releasing his frustration. There were other methods for that. Then gripping him by the throat, he pressed up against him and felt the man's hot, shallow breaths on his face.

"Where. Are. They?" he growled, glaring straight into the goon's bloodshot eyes. Blood poured freely from his nose and mouth, as well as several deep gashes on his face. Feebly pushing against the hand against his throat, the man swallowed convulsively as he attempted to form the words.

"I-I don't know! I swear on my ma's grave, I don't know!" He gasped as Mikey raised his bloody fist once again, then started speaking quickly. "B-But Hun would know! He's been doing business with the pig, Zeck, since he split off from Bradford and Steranko."

Mikey blinked. _They split up?_ It was an unexpected development, but not an unwelcome one. They would be easier to take them down one by one, but it would be harder to find them all if they were spread across the city. Finding Bebop was a good first step, and he would get a chance to vent more of his aggression on Hun. It really was his lucky day.

"Where's Hun?"

"I can't-"

Mikey increased the pressure to his windpipe. The man bucked against the implied threat and stumbled over his words.

"A-At the fortune cookie factory on West 22nd… meeting with a buyer… Please, just, leave me alone…,"

Mikey grunted and released his hold on the goon's throat. He dropped to the ground and curled up into a little ball. Mikey looked down at him, disgusted with the whimpering excuse of a man cowering in fear of him. He was right to fear him. No longer was he the brat that would always screw up. No longer was he the weak one who couldn't even do one thing right.

For once in his life, Mikey felt like he actually accomplished something.

He managed to hold his own against Raph, beat down a Purple Dragon, and he successfully gathered some information about his quarry all in the same day. But, he was only just getting started and the night was not over yet.

Then without another word, he knocked the man out with a sharp strike to the side of the head. He slumped in a heap next to the dumpster. Mikey turned away from the him and ran for the nearest fire escape. If he hurried, he could make it to the factory before Hun finished his business with the buyer.

Things were starting to turn out for him after all, and soon, they would pay for what they had done.

Nothing would stand in Mikey's way.

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **BelatedBeliever:** Hello, good readers! Thank you all for reading and for those who are following our progress. We are humbled and awed at all of your kind reviews and the amount of support that we are receiving in our endeavor!. I am truly excited for what we are planning next *shuts her mouth before she can give away any spoilers*, and I know that Faith is as well. :D

 **FaithfulWhispers:** Yeah, I am Believer. I had a blast and I can't wait to let the readers see what we're cooking up for the next chapter. Honestly, this chapter was amazing to write. The plot unfolds and the character development thickens! Well anyways, I thank you all for reading and leaving us all this feedback. We are so happy and so excited to see all the wonderful support and we appreciate the feedback. The two of us try very hard to get these chapters out as soon as we can, so I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. *huggles Believer and everyone*. Thanks again, and cya' next time!


	9. Chapter 9

Energy coursed through Mikey as he leapt over another gap between buildings in the warehouse district. He pushed the muscles in his legs to their limit as he raced against the clock. As he drew closer and closer to his destination, he could feel all of his bottled up frustration slowly easing at the thought of confronting Hun, as well as the high probability of a beatdown. But more importantly, the fact that he was actually going to secure information on the stupid warthog drove him forward and turned his frustration to anticipation.

When he crossed the gap to the next building, the factory came into view. Then preparing himself, he sprang off the roof into a back alley so that he could sneak in through the shadows. He executed the landing perfectly with a small jolt shooting up his legs when he made contact with the ground.

As he weaved through the dark, back streets, he started thinking of different ideas on how to corner Hun. Every idea led in the same direction: let his nunchakus do the talking. A heavy breath escaped his lips as he reached the end of the dark, narrow street. Ahead of him, he could see the factory looming over him and through the opening on opposite side of the alley, a shiny black town car and two beat up vans sitting in the parking lot. Mikey had seen one of those vans before, and instantly knew that he had made it in time.

A smirk crept across on his face. His luck was still holding out.

Turning his attention to the back door, he noticed two goons standing side by side, each with a gun in his hand. He would need to take them out before going inside. They could prove to be a pain in the butt if he was planning to get Hun alone.

The way he planned it, if he wanted to get Hun to spill where Bebop was, he needed to get the mob boss alone. Mikey was going to have to either take out Hun's goons or get him away from them so that they could have a nice little chat.

Silently, he crept up along the alley wall, his shell barely scraping against the bricks. Each step he took was light, soundless even. He focused an old, rusty trash can further down the alley, shrouded in shadow. Then instinctively, drew a shuriken from his belt and flung it at the metal bin. The metallic collision rang out, echoing down the alley.

Immediately the two goons hoisted their weapons and lumbered towards the source of the noise. Mikey could see the confusion etched onto their faces and he mentally prepared himself as they approached. The moment they passed his hiding place, he sprung forward and cracked one of his nunchakus over the head of one of the guards. His target crumpled to the ground with a thud, and then Mikey twirled around and landed a blow to the jaw on the other.

His opponent didn't put up much of a fight as he curled into himself, trying to shake off the pain. However, Mikey didn't have the patience, nor the time for a longer confrontation, so he simply bashed him over the head as well. The thug dropped his gun all together and collapsed on top of his partner.

 _Too easy…_

With a huff of contempt, Mikey turned his back on them and stared up the factory walls. His eyes trailed the details, absorbing them. Sure, he could easily just walk in through the door, but he needed to be strategic like Leo. If he had learned anything from his older brother, it was that you should always take a back way in so that the element of surprise is on your side.

A moment passed before Mikey noticed that there was a window propped open on the highest floor. _Of course there's a window open; there's always one,_ Mikey thought to himself. Then soundlessly, he moved up towards the concrete wall of the factory, and pulled his grappling hook off his belt. Aiming it carefully, he swung it upwards and the prongs caught the window frame.

With ease, he scaled the side of the building. For once, his mind was completely and utterly focused on the task at hand. He had one shot at this. Just one. If he screwed this up, then Bebop would surely find out what he was planning and go completely into hiding. Or worse, gather up reinforcements to take out his family, and Mikey couldn't allow that.

No... he _wouldn't_ allow that.

Once he reached the window, he carefully slid inside. He was on the highest level, but he needed to stay out of sight. Using the strength in his legs, he propelled himself up and into the rafters. He perched himself carefully on the iron beams as he scanned his immediate area for his target.

"The price you are asking for is outrageous!" a man's deep voice protested indignantly from below. Hun's thin accented voice interrupted the investor with a haughty air.

"Now that the Shredder is gone, the demand for this kind of merchandise has risen far beyond what my connections can supply. You will not find anyone else with such a generous offer, my friend."

Mikey crept down through the rafters with the least amount of sound that he could manage. He could see the group of men below, huddled around the loading bay as they studied the contents of a chipped wooden crate.

He could see Hun clearly, surrounded by the three goons that he had beaten up a while back. Standing before him was a little man in a tight blue suit, his bald patch reflecting the glare of the factory's florescent lights. Mikey didn't care much about him. He wasn't any kind of threat.

Taking out the three goons would be no problem either. It was Hun that worried him a little. The man was an experienced fighter, not some street level thug. He could easily take Mikey out as he tangled with the others. He needed to be smart about this. No more jumping in blindly, swinging with both fists. That was what started this whole mess. He lifted his eyes, trying to figure out a plan.

That was when he saw the breaker box across the room. His eyes lit up as he recalled a mission that he went on with Donnie a long time ago. When Leo and Raph had heartlessly called them 'the B team', downplaying their importance. Even back then, his older brothers had looked down on them, thinking that they were the weakest links of the team. However, when he was paired with Donnie, the brains, they had managed to be just as skilled.

Only this time, he was all alone. There would be no back up from his brother in case things got sticky.

One of the names that he had thought of when trying to find April's cell phone stood out in his mind as if it were imprinted on a neon sign. It was so simple that it might even be crazy enough to work.

Operation Blackout.

Jumping over the gaps in the rafters like an Olympic hurdler, he crossed the length of the factory without a sound. He dropped behind a large stainless steel contraption positioned near the back wall and peered around the side. The investor was shouting now, waving his arms in Hun's face as he continued to argue about the price that had been set on whatever was in the crates. As a result, the gang leader's attention was completely focused on the belligerent man.

This was the perfect opportunity for Mikey to move.

The breaker box was conveniently hidden within the shadow cast by the heavy machinery. Once the power was out, he was going to have to move fast in order to separate Hun from his lackeys and get him out of the building.

The hinges on the little door creaked sharply as he opened it. Mikey grit his teeth against the sound and he looked back at the group of lowlifes. To his immense relief, they were so wrapped up in their negotiations that they didn't hear the sound.

There were a dozen plastic switches inside the box, all tipped in bright orange. Unsure which of the switches would shut off the power, Mikey threw them all with a quick swipe with both hands. Within a few short seconds, the entire warehouse was encased in pitch darkness.

"What the hell?" the investor's disembodied voice demanded.

"Someone turn the lights back on!" a scared voice pled, hovering on the brink of hysteria.

Although Mikey's vision hadn't completely adjusted to the darkness, he could see enough to get him where he needed to go. Hun's silhouette was groping around with the others, feeling for the closest wall.

Swiftly, Mikey moved in and swept a leg forward, knocking Hun off balance.

"Wha-?"

Instantly, he wrapped a hand over the man's mouth while using his other arm to drag him out by the torso. Hun struggled within his grasp, landing a few blows. He had to withstand them as he broke through the back door.

Sooner or later, the others would either find the door, or the switches that would turn the lights back on. He needed to get Hun as far away as possible so that they could talk without interruption.

Mikey kicked the door closed behind him as he forced Hun into the alley. A sharp pain in his hand made him almost made him cry out. _Damn it, he bit me!_ he thought indignantly. He wasn't going to deal with that, so he struck him across the top of the head with his fist, stunning him temporarily. Throwing the mobster over his shoulder, he climbed the fire escape of the neighboring building and started sprinting east. It didn't really matter where they went. He just didn't want any interference from any of the Purple Dragons. That would spoil everything.

After three blocks, Hun started struggling again. Mikey tried as hard as he could to keep a strong grip, but the enemy freed one of his arms and elbowed him right in the back of the head. With his captor momentarily dazed, Hun ripped himself free of his grasp, scrambling out of his reach. Then he quickly gathered to his feet, brushing himself off.

"Who dares lay their hands on me?" he asked in a furious tone as he turned to face his captor. Startled recognition replaced the fury in his face as Mikey glared up at him.

"I'm looking for Bebop, scumbag," he demanded. Hun raised a thick eyebrow in response.

"Who the hell is Bebop? You're crazy, turtle."

It suddenly occurred to Mikey that only he and his brothers called the mutant Bebop. Of course Hun wouldn't know who he was talking about.

"The warthog mutant," he explained shortly, "Don't make me ask you twice."

Comprehension dawned behind Hun's large glasses. His smirk was contemptuous as he crossed his arms indolently.

"Oh yes. Zeck. What does this have to do with me?"

Mikey's right eye ticked impatiently. He didn't have time for this.

"You know where he is, and you're going to tell me."

"Or what, turtle? What could you possibly do to me?"

The way Hun sneered at him struck the final nerve. Mikey had had enough of everyone taking a jab at him. Whipping out his chucks, he began to twirl them in a blatant threat . His eyes became dim with darkened blue clouds swirling within them as he widened his stance.

"Last chance... Where is he?" he growled venomously.

Silently, Hun slid into a fighter's stance with both fists raised. His mouth became a hard line, giving Mikey the silent message that he wasn't going to answer him. This ignited a small flame burning within him and his dormant rage fanned it into an inferno.

Dashing forward, he swung his chuck upwards in a blur. Hun dodged the flying handle and jabbed him twice hard in the plastron, driving the air from him. Coughing, Mikey recovered his balance and looked up to that smug sneer on his enemy's face. The guy had gotten in one lucky shot, but that was the only one.

Charging forward, Mikey feinted to his right before attacking vigorously on the left. Hun blocked the assault with his forearm, but left his right side fully exposed as a result. Mikey seized his chance and kicked him hard in the side, driving Hun to his knees.

His opponent gasped for air as he struggled to regain his footing. However, Mikey grabbed onto his shirt and lifted him up to eye level before taking his chuck and whipping him in the face. Droplets of blood splashed onto his face as the handle cut into Hun's cheek. The man screamed in pain and rage as he struggled in Mikey's grasp, pounding on his forearm tenaciously.

But, Mikey wasn't satisfied. All of the built up rage and tension within him was threatening to break him apart, and he needed to expend somewhere. This guy's face was as good a place as any.

Casting his nunchaku aside, he let go of Hun, allowing him to slump forward. Immediately, he drove his knee right into his chin and he crumpled to the roof, holding his bloody mouth. Mikey started beating him ferociously with both fists, keeping the man pinned down with his relentless attack. The white bandages around his hands were starting to stain red with his blood, but Mikey didn't care.

Each strike became more viscous and sharp than the last. At this point, Mikey was so high on adrenaline and he didn't want to stop. He needed to keep going, despite his target's cries of pain and defeat. He couldn't remember feeling this kind of power over something or someone. It was a totally new feeling and he felt practically drunk on the exhilaration. All of these different sensations he felt as he drew his enemy's blood made him feel more alive than any stunt he had ever pulled on his skateboard.

He could hear a harsh choking cough passing through Hun's bruised, bleeding lips. Mikey stopped the attack, but kept his fist in Hun's face as he waited to hear what this thug had to say. His anger started to fade away, completely spent on rearranging the gang leader's face.

"What did you say? Ya' willing to talk now?"

Hun turned his head to the side and spit a bloody wad of saliva onto the tar paper.

"Fine… I don't owe that freak anything…" He rasped gruffly, not meeting Mikey's eyes," What do you want?"

"I want to know where I can find him."

Hun swiped his hand under his nose, wiping away a steady stream of blood that flowed from each nostril.

"That I don't know, but I can arrange a place for you to meet as long as you let me go…"

Mikey had to keep himself from cheering in triumph. He had actually won! Keeping his stony expression, he folded his arms and stood over him.

Hun glared up at him with swollen eyes, full of anger and hate. Mikey wasn't phased at all.

"Where do you usually meet him?"

Hun's eyes flickered to his right for an instant before coming to rest on him again.

"There are several places that we have met in the past."

Mikey scowled at Hun, knowing that he was lying. But he didn't have any more time to waste on him.

"Ugh, just get to the _point_ , please?" Mikey asked in a tiresome tone, rolling his eyes.

Coughing a little, the thug shifted his weight and moved his arm towards his back. "Very well, let me-"

Mikey swatted his hand away because he didn't trust any movements Hun made. The gang leader usually didn't carry a gun, but it was always possible that he had a weapon of some kind tucked into this waistband. He then saw his cellphone poking out of his pocket and with careful fingers, he plucked it out while keeping steady eyes on his enemy.

"Is his number in here?" He waved the phone in the man's face.

"Yes."

"You better not be lying to me..." Mikey warned, casting a suspicious glance down at him.

"Now why would I do a thing like that?" Hun asked, his voice dripping with false sincerity.

Mikey merely scoffed and started scrolling through the contact list. Eventually he found 'Zeck' at the bottom of the list and smiled with delight. _Finally_ , he thought to himself as he opened up the text box and began to type.

All the while, he kept a close watch on Hun so that he wouldn't try anything. Though at this point, Mikey would have considered it foolish to do so. He then sent what he considered was a good message and waited, tapping his feet.

His patience was quickly growing thin as he listened to the thug's shallow breathing. The wheeze that was irritable to his ears, but he tried his as hard as he could to ignore it. As he stood there, continuing to patter his foot against the roof, he started to think that this was going to turn out to be a bust.

Then just as he was about give up on waiting, a loud ping rung into the air. Excitedly, he glanced down and read the reply. _Yes, he's gonna fall for it!_ With a giant grin on his face, completely contrasted from his previous expression, he typed away and sent a follow up message. His grip grew stronger at the immediate response.

"Perfect," he whispered out in a hushed tone.

Cracking his neck, he deposited the cell into his belt and his blue eyes gleamed as he looked down at Hun. There was indignant fury stamped on that beaten, bloodied face.

"Are you not going to give that back, turtle?" he asked sullenly.

"Nope, 'fraid not. Just be happy all I gave ya' was my fist," he stated, trying his best to mimic something Raph might say.

"You've given me more than just your fist, but I see your point. However, you will regret this, turtle."

Mikey simply shook his head and kicked him hard in the head, knocking the man out at once. He was done regretting things. There was nothing this dirtbag could do that would Mikey make afraid. In fact, he was in full control now, and he was done letting things get in his way.

After making sure that Hun was completely out cold, he gathered himself to his feet and stretched his arms over his head. He couldn't risk leaving him aware, and now he needed to hightail it far away from here. His gang would come looking for him any minute.

He faded into the shadows and made his way down to the street level. In the distance he could hear sirens and the sound of squealing tires. It was good thing he had gotten out when he had, but that was all history now.

The night air felt so calming to him as he walked along the dark alley. Honestly, this was the best he had felt in ages. In three days, he'd finally make his first move for revenge. Pride swelled up within him at the recollection of tonight's events.

Though, the work wasn't finished yet. He still needed to train and to better himself. Though Bebop was only the weakest of the three, the rest would be much harder. Mikey couldn't allow himself to slack off now. Not now and never again.

A steady stream of air passed his lips as he found the nearest manhole cover.

 _I can't stay out too late or Sensei will start to worry. The last thing I need is Raph and Leo out looking for me…_

* * *

Easing around the corner of the entrance, Mikey noticed that the lair was unusually quiet. The silence was eerie and he felt like the walls were staring at him; judging him. Perhaps his family had gone to bed or his brothers were comforting Donnie. Either way, at least he could make his way to his room without dealing with one of his brothers.

"There he is…"

Mikey grimaced and stopped in his tracks. _Crap…_

Leo and Raph were sitting on the couch, staring at him with daunting expressions, as if they had waited hours in that spot. He had been hoping to slip in unnoticed, though after his little skirmish with Raph earlier, he should have expected as much. It only made sense that they would be waiting for him. After all, he's the screw up. His stomach tightened at the notion as he darted his gaze between them.

"What do you two want?" Mikey mumbled under his breath.

Raph sucked his teeth and folded his arms. His whole body became stiff as he narrowed his eyes at his younger brother.

"We just wanna' talk, but if you're gonna be a little-"

Leo lifted a hand and placed it over Raph's face, cutting off his provocative retort.

"Raph and I've been talking and…," he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, we wanted to say that... we're sorry, Mikey. We blamed you for what happened to Donnie and that wasn't fair. We know that you did everything you could for him."

Mikey could feel his ire rising at this pathetic excuse for an apology. Sorry? They were _sorry_? After all the crap they had put him through, this was the best they could do?

He shifted his weight between his feet and remained silent. Thoughts came swirling into his head, and it took much of his restraint to keep himself from flinching from Leo's reproachful words repeating relentlessly in his mind.

"Sorry's not gonna cut it this time, Leo," he said coldly with a bitter look etched upon his face.

Leo looked stunned as his words were heartlessly thrown back into his face. Raph frowned as he rose from his seat, clearly annoyed at Mikey's tone and attitude.

"Look, you're pissed. I get it, but you're starting to freak us out, man."

Mikey turned his head a fraction to meet Raph's bright green eyes. _Pissed? You think I'm_ pissed _? I am_ way _beyond that, big brother._

"Why's that? I'm not some joke that you two can push around anymore?"

The hothead's brows furrowed in perplexity.

"What are ya' talking about? We're just worried ab-"

"Is that _blood_ on your hands?" Leo interrupted abruptly.

Mikey looked down at his knuckles, the wraps stained a rusty brown from Hun's blood. He had completely forgotten to clean up after the beatdown, but it was too late now. However, Leo had no business searching him with those thoughtful, interrogative eyes, like _he_ had done something wrong. Drawing in a quick breath, he lifted his chin so that it was leveled.

"What's it to you? Since when did _you_ care what happened to me?" he growled in an agitated tone.

"Mikey…" Leo started to say something, but bit down on his lip, seeming to reconsider what he was going to say.

He was sick and tired of these two getting onto his case lately. The first time he had seen them whispering about him behind his back, he hadn't been too bothered by it. But after a while, it had begun to grate against his nerves. He could imagine what they were saying, though none of the things he speculated were very pleasant. Now they were trying to corner him, to tear him back down to the level where they thought he belonged.

Mikey was nearly at the end of his rope as he stared into Leo's face. He saw deep concern there, but he could hardly withstand it. Why did he keep looking at him like that? Why did everyone continue to poke their noses into his business?

He had screwed up, he knew that, but he was trying to change. But apparently, it still wasn't good enough. Leo made it perfectly clear to him earlier that he was a major failure, and yet, here he was, acting as if that didn't matter anymore.

He pulled himself out of his dark thoughts when he noticed that his brother had started coming toward him. Mikey had had enough of the conversation, and as he turned to leave, Leo reached out towards him.

"Please, if you're hurt, we can help-"

"Leave me alone!"

Before he even knew what had happened, Leo laid at his feet, groaning as he held the side of his head defensively. He raised his eyes and met Raph's gaze. He snarled fiercely and clenched his large fists pugnaciously.

"Oh that's it, I've had enough of your shit!"

Suddenly, Raph lept over Leo as he recovered and pounced onto Mikey. Though, his little brother saw it coming, and so, he put up his guard. Before Raph could land a blow, Mikey swept his leg upwards and brushed him aside with a powerful stroke. The kick pulsed through his body, but he wasn't finished yet. With a snarl, Raph rounded on him and tackled him to the floor.

"Mikey! Raph! Cut it out!" Leo implored from behind them, but neither brother paid him any attention. Their focus was on their mutual outrage at one another. They tumbled and rolled across the floor, each of them struggling for the upper hand. Leo stood dumbly by for a long moment. He couldn't believe his eyes. Raph was actually straining to keep Mikey from overpowering him. A struggle he was quickly losing.

As a last tactic of gaining ground, Raph slipped out of Mikey's rough grip and sprang to his feet. He had completely switched to defense, blocking blows rather than trying to deliver them. This didn't deter Mikey in the slightest; in fact, it had only egged him on as he wound up for another strike.

"Mikey, calm down!" Leo shouted once more, trying to get handle on the situation. However, when Mikey punched Raph across the face, he'd had enough. If he were going to get things back under control, he needed to get in the middle and separate them.

Swiftly, he stepped in between them and ducked as Mikey swung a fist through the air. It barely scraped against the skin on top of his head. Then shifting his weight downwards, Leo aimed a kick towards the center of his plastron. The kick sent Mikey flying to the other side of the living room.

Mikey landed in a heap a few inches inside the dojo. He gasped heavily for some air and pushed himself to his feet. Even though he thought he had worked most of his aggression out of his system, he still felt a full arsenal of bottled up emotions clouding his head and weighing down his heart.

Year after year, since their childhood, he had always buried everything negative inside of himself and chose to laugh it off. He had decided to enjoy the small things in his life instead of giving into their sharp jabs and insults. Now, he'd had enough. No longer was he the weak, nuisance of a little brother.

No, he was someone much stronger than that now.

"Mikey, you need to stop this! We don't want to hurt you!" Leo cried out, cutting his hand through the air to put emphasize his words.

Mikey looked straight into the pleading eyes of his oldest brother. _Too little, too late…,_ he thought cynically. Deep down, he was losing the struggle to keep his cool and he wanted to release the cap on his bottle up frustration; just to release some of the pressure.

But no, he mustn't do that. He needed to keep his emotions under wraps, but he wasn't going to be a punching bag any longer. Tonight, he was going to step up and completely stand on his own two feet to show his brothers that they needed to back off.

His face was composed as he met his brothers' gazes, refusing to show any of the inner turmoil he felt.

"Well, do ya' think you can? I'd like to see ya' try."

Mikey raised his bloody fists, daring them to take him on. Leo's heart twisted with remorse as he stared into his baby brother's uncharacteristically serious and unhappy face. _What happened to him that he would look at us like that?_ Many unhindered emotions: guilt, terror, and even sorrow, swirled within the pit of his stomach like a churning hurricane.

As he let the wave of emotions wash over him, he knew right then the answer to his question. He had neglected Mikey and even pushed him aside. Leo was supposed to have been the most mature out of the four, and yet, just like Raph, he had vented all of his anger and fear onto his brother when he had needed him the most. He had never come so close to losing any of his brothers, and he hadn't known how to cope with it, so he lashed out in anger against the most vulnerable one within reach. Now that he saw the error of his actions, he needed to step up and be responsible.

"Bro…" he said softly, but Mikey shook his head savagely, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Shut up. I don't wanna hear it!"

Leo grimaced over Mikey's harsh tone. He knew that he deserved this, but he needed to get him to settle down. But a tingling sensation shot down his spine. Something was about to happen; Leo always got that feeling before things went down.

Shaking it off as best he could, he stepped forward. "Mikey-"

"Fine, you little prick!"

Raph came hurdling past Leo. He drove his shoulder right into Mikey's plastron, and plowed him further into the dojo. They stumbled across the tatami mats for a moment before regaining their footing.

Mikey's face twisted with rage as he watched his hotheaded brother withdraw his sais. He met the provocation by drawing his nunchakus and spun them in preparation. Every muscle tensed up as he watched Raph's fingers twitch. He knew he was itching for a fight, and frankly, so was he.

He'd let Raph make the first move. That way, he could gage the right response and shut him down.

Raph charged forward, both sais raised. Parrying to the left, Mikey sidestepped the onslaught and wrapped the chain of his nunchaku around the prongs of one sai. With a sharp thrust of his arm, he jerked the weapon from his brother's hand and sent it clattering across the mats. Raph's eyes flickered toward the discarded sai then back at him. Mikey was gratified to see a glimmer of disbelief behind those usually haughty green eyes.

Gripping the remaining sai tightly in his fist, Raph swiped at his little brother, missing him by centimeters. Mikey seized the opportunity and captured his wrist in the chain of his nunchaku, using his momentum to heft Raph up and over his shoulder. He gave a startled cry as he flew through the air and crashed onto the mats, the remaining sai bouncing out of his reach.

He panted heavily, trying in vain to reorient himself when the sharp edge of his sai was embedded in the mat, half an inch from his face. His gaze sprang up into the hardened face of his little brother, who grasped the handle of the sai. Leaning over him, Mikey leered down at him malevolently.

"Who's useless now?" he sneered. Raph could only stare into those stone cold eyes, unable to wrap his mind around what he was seeing or hearing.

"Mikey, knock it off!"

Suddenly, he felt a strong grip on his shoulder and whipped his head around to see Leo's indigo eyes burning into him with hot condemnation. Then ripping away from his grasp, Mikey rolled to the side and spun to his feet. He quickly drew his chucks, spinning as he studied Leo's rigid posture. He wanted a piece of his oldest brother as well, and he beckoned him with a tilt of his head.

Inhaling deeply, Leo knew the only way he could calm Mikey down was to put him in his place. Slowly, he unsheathed his blades and relaxed his stance. He wouldn't feed into the agitation, after all, it was his mistake that caused all of this.

Then he lifted one katana until it was aligned with his body. His previous emotions were swept away as he drew in another calming breath. Mikey decided he wouldn't let things go his way, and so, he dug his feet into the mats, rushing towards him. Before Leo even had a chance to react, his brother swept into his personal space, causing him to back step.

The ongoing attacks were relentless and Mikey gave Leo no opportunity to strategize. Mikey had always been a master of spontaneity and he used this to his advantage. If there was one weakness that Leo had, it was that he had no imagination.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Raph pick himself up off the floor and pull the embedded sai free. _Great, two on one…but, I can take 'em._ Releasing a huff of air, Mikey crouched into his favorite stance, warily turning his attention between each of his opponents. With a growl, Raph sped toward him. He waited until the hothead was nearly on top of him before flipping over him, allowing him to barrel through the empty space where he had stood before.

Pivoting on his toes, Mikey faced them and eyed them carefully. Both of them lifted their weapons defensively. He knew it would be foolish to simply charge forward like the old Mikey would have, so he decided to put his agility training to use.

"Stand down, Mikey. It doesn't have to be like this," Leo warned dangerously, his words as cold as ice.

The corners of his lips crept into a smirk, since he didn't feel threatened at all. He breathed steadily and eyed the surroundings. Then rolling his shoulders he allowed for the tension to ebb away from his muscles as his mind cleared.

 _Calm._

 _Focused._

 _Still, like the forest._

He smirked as he pushed his weight forward and leapt through the air toward the large tree in the middle of the dojo. He planted both feet on the base and heard the leaves rustle above him in response. But suddenly, he propelled himself through the air and arced himself down towards his brothers. His weapon cut through the small space between them, and he followed up by planting his foot in Raph's face.

Raph swore loudly, clutching his split lip as he stumbled backward.

Landing neatly between the two, he whipped his arm back as Leo sliced the air near his plastron. He flicked the edge of his blade upwards as Mikey's nunchaku knocked his arm aside. As Raph drove his sai towards him, he ducked and rolled onto his shell. Throwing his weight back, he flung his legs to the side and began to spin on his shell, knocking the two away from him with his feet.

Both brothers skidded back a few feet as Mikey jumped to his feet. Flicking open the chain of his kusarigama, he turned on a dime and threw the weighted end at Leo. The leader caught the chain with the flat of his katana. Recognizing the advantage he had been given, Mikey jerked the chain back roughly, tearing the weapon from his grasp. It flipped end over end toward the other side of the dojo, far out of Leo's reach.

His brother's jaw dropped in reaction, but Mikey lunged forward and knocked the other sword from his hand with the handle of his nunchaku, leaving him completely defenseless. Leo stumbled back and began to fend off his chain with his forearms, knocking them from the air.

Raph stood and watched as Mikey backed Leo up against the tree, pressing him with all his might. He wasn't going easy on him, even though he was unarmed. Gritting his teeth, Raph squeezed the hilt of his sais, and charged forward. He ignored the look in Leo's eyes that pleaded for him to stop.

Grabbing the ridge of his shell, Raph threw Mikey backwards onto the tatami mats. He leaned his weight on his little brother's plastron, pinning him to the mat. As he struggled for breath, Mikey kicked his feet upward, trying to force his brother's weight off of him. After the second attempt, his knee struck Raph hard in the back of his shell, throwing his weight off balance.

Mikey used the momentum to twist out from under him, then followed up by elbowing him hard in the side. As he jolted up onto his knees, he used a forceful hand to press Raph face first into the mat, about to deliver one last blow.

As he wheeled his arm back, chuck swinging, he felt a strong hand grab him around his wrist. Immediately, he felt himself get thrown back, and he tilted his head up to see Leo's enraged face.

"Everyone, stop!" Leo screamed out, nearly tearing his voice raw.

Suddenly, all movement came to a halt and silence filled the air. The air was stifling with thick tension, and Leo scrunched his face up as he looked towards his two brothers as they scuffled to their feet.

" _That is enough_. Mikey cool it and put your weapons away. Raph, you too." Raph turned back to look at Mikey for a long moment before sheathing his sais.

"We're finished here for tonight…," Leo said, his voice exhausted, yet authoritative.

Mikey felt a hard lump form in his throat. What was the deal? They're the ones that had started it, and yet, Leo's pissed at _him_ for finishing it? Either way, he had won and they both knew that. They couldn't take that from him.

"Fine," he choked out as he slammed his chucks into the holsters.

Slumping his shoulders, he lifted his feet and pushed past him. Fatigue clung onto his shell as he realized he had gone through a lot tonight. However, as he stepped through the doorway, a smirk settled onto his face.

He had won against them.

All of them.

A slight snicker escaped from him as he headed towards Donnie's lab. Maybe if he was still awake, he could tell him about all that had happened. But as he drew closer, he could hear faint murmuring from behind the door. His sensei's voice rumbled out and into the lair, the words short and deliberate. As Mikey strained his hearing, he realized it was a series of chants and decided to leave it alone. He would visit Donnie tomorrow.

Heading towards his own bedroom, he swam in a stream of his thoughts. Honestly, the very notion that he's been doing so much heavy thinking felt so foreign to him, yet, it felt so wonderful. Though, the bubbly feeling was short lived once he realized that he hadn't even spent any time with Donnie in the last few days.

Then as he thought about it more, he came to the hardened truth that he hadn't been around Donnie much at all in the past few weeks. Honestly, he struggled to face him with the guilt lingering in the back of his heart, no, the back of his mind. In fact, every fiber of his being felt pained for his older brother, and he wanted nothing more than to take it all away from him.

Though, that was a foolish thing to think.

What's done was done, and he had already made his resolve.

He was stirred from his thoughts as he marched up the stairs to the bedroom. Raph had slammed his bedroom door shut, causing him to wince. _Hothead_...Once he reached his bedroom, Mikey shouldered the door open and shuffled inside.

Placing his hand on his belt, he slowly slid the cell from his belt and began to scroll through it. Hun had so many contacts and all sorts of memos in his cell. Perhaps the info would prove useful to him in the future, he thought to himself as he continued to sift through it.

The cell phone alone was a major score, and he managed to finally gain steady ground on his enemy.

 _Just three more days…_ Flopping back onto his bed, his body slightly bounced on the springs, and eventually settled with a creak. He stared up at his ceiling and rested an arm against his forehead.

Thoughts and images flowed like a river through his mind, refusing to cease or even slow. Each thought made his smile grow wider and his eyes shimmer in delight. As the mental image of Raph looking at him with fear flashed into his eyes, a small laugh erupted from his throat.

 _I can't believe he thought I was just pissed…_

But as the thought fleeted on by, Leo's pained indigo eyes came into view. His laughter ceased and he twisted his face with guilt. His heart began to throb.

They're family after all.

But it wasn't like they didn't ask for it. They had hurt him so much, but yet, a wave of shame came crashing down on him like a tidal wave. It wasn't right. Both of them made him feel like dirt, and yet...

Mikey refused to think about it any longer and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, there was no holding back. He needed to up his game.

He needed to become stronger and each day was another step to do so.

Soon, there would be no more pain, and no more guilt.

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **FaithfulWhispers:** *wipes sweat from brow* Whew, that was a lot of work. Well, I seriously hope you enjoyed this installment. This is the longest chapter we've written, and we made sure to pack it full of action. Things are seriously starting to develop and we cannot thank you all enough for all the support you have given us. It continues to drive us forward and we've appreciated every single feedback we've received. It's been so fun working with Believer and she's been so amazing. *hugs Believer* Awesome job!

 **BelatedBeliever:** *hugs* Thanks Faith! This chapter was was quite the adventure to write, but we did it! Thank you everyone for reading and for all who follow and leave lovely reviews. I can't agree with Faith enough about how much we appreciate you all and your support. We hope to see you again for the next installment!


	10. Chapter 10

Standing in front of the rice paper divider, Leo hung his head and contemplated what he should say. It was a little before six in the morning, but he wanted to catch his sensei before he went to see Donnie. He didn't want to bother him so early, but he didn't know what else to do.

Lately, his father had been so preoccupied with his brother and his healing mantras that Leo hadn't had much opportunity to speak with him privately. Not that he minded, of course, though he had little time for anything else besides their training sessions. But he really needed some of his father's wisdom right about now.

His mind wandered to how he should start such a delicate conversation. Should he just be forward and express his concerns or should he slowly ease into it? How was he going begin to explain himself to Splinter?

Before he could reason out the answer, he heard soft shuffling behind the screen and it slid open, revealing his father. Splinter stood tall before him, the bags under his eyes betraying his lack of sleep.

 _Maybe this wasn't a good time after all…_

"What is it, Leonardo?" his father asked softly.

Shaking his head, Leo rubbed the back of his head. Words failed him, and other than releasing a nervous sigh, he couldn't think of anything to say. He felt so awkward and he could feel his father's dark amber eyes searching him, clearly worried.

"Is there something wrong, my son?" Splinter asked again.

"Well...no…," he started to say, but changed his mind when he got a good look at Splinter's stern face, realizing that his lie had not gone unnoticed. He drew in a breath. "Actually, there is. It's about Mikey, and I-"

Splinter held up a paw, silencing Leo's explanations.

"Come, let us discuss this matter in private," Splinter said, beckoning him inside his room.

"Hai…," Leo murmured as he stepped past the divider into the dark interior.

He could smell the faint aromatic scent of burning incense in the air- the same kind his father always lit in memory of his deceased wife. Now he definitely felt remorse for intruding on such a personal moment, but he didn't know what else to do. He couldn't let this continue, and surely, Splinter could help. If anyone had the wisdom he needed to reach Michelangelo, it was his sensei.

He watched as Splinter knelt before a solitary burning candle and gazed off into the distance, the glow of the flame illuminating his fatigued face. Then Leo slowly lowered himself to his knees, his clenched fists resting on top of his legs with a heavy weight of responsibility settling on his shell.

Silence settled like a thick fog around them. He tried to focus on his inner self but instead his mind buzzed with tumultuous thoughts. Donnie's pale and strained face appeared behind his eyes, quickly followed by Mikey's hardened, unhappy snarl. His two youngest brothers had needed him, but instead of saving them both, he had pushed one of them aside, demeaned him and made him feel like his words and feelings didn't matter.

Recollections of the fight from the night before clouded his thoughts, but he pushed them away and lifted his head. He met Splinter's eyes, then relaxed his muscles, trying to make himself more comfortable.

"Sensei, I think there's something wrong with Mikey. He's been acting strangely."

"Oh? And what do you think is wrong with him, my son?"

Leo paused, collecting his thoughts in order than he could make himself better understood.

"I really don't know...I mean, he's been...distant. Every time I even try to talk to him, Mikey pushes me away. Raph and I tried to talk to him last night, but he got angry, then the three of us got into a fight and-"

Splinter held up a paw, silencing his unhindered stream of thought.

"My son, things have not been easy for any of us during these last few months. I believe that Michelangelo has taken Donatello's injuries to heart more than anyone else. Though my thoughts have been consumed with other matters, it does not mean I am not aware of what was going on."

Leo searched Splinter's unworried gaze, dismayed. How can he be so cavalier about this?

"But sensei…," he reasoned, "I've seen Mikey upset before. This is completely different. He doesn't smile anymore, he's acting like a brute and he's… just not being Mikey. This is really freaking us out. What should we do?"

Master Splinter drew in a deep breath and released it slowly.

"Perhaps your brother is taking his ninja training more seriously than he has before. He has sought me out for private sessions and has improved greatly in his combative skills."

"That's not the point, sensei!" Leo stopped when he heard himself shouting. Splinter's reproachful glance reminded him that he was in a place of peace, so he lowered his gaze and mumbled an apology.

"Then what is the point, my son?" Splinter asked stiffly, returning his focus to the dancing candle flame. Leo forced himself to breathe evenly to allow his chi to seamlessly flow through him. The candle flickered erratically, casting ghostly shadows on the barren walls.

"My point is that since Donnie's accident, Mikey's changed."

He allowed this to hang in the air for a while, waiting to hear what Master Splinter had to say. The moment stretched into a minute, then into five. Finally, the rat master turned his head and met Leo's gaze.

"My son, Donatello's accident was traumatic to us all and we are all coping with it in our own ways. Michelangelo is choosing to focus on his ninjutsu training rather on his childish antics, and I find it admirable." Splinter sighed and began thoughtfully stroking his beard, his eyes narrowing slightly on his son. "Besides, you and Raphael have not made it easy on him…"

Leo flinched at the rebuke and tightened his fists on his thighs.

"Yeah, I know Sensei. Raph and I haven't been very fair to him, but when I tried to step up and apologize, he basically threw it back in my face."

"And do you blame him for this?" Splinter inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Leo hesitated, unsure of what he should say next. He had, in fact, blamed Mikey for everything that he couldn't control, and he needed to find a way to repair the damage that he had done. But if Mikey wouldn't listen to him, how would he ever prove that he was truly sorry for the way he had acted?

"Leonardo, I chose you to be the leader of your team, and it is your duty to pull your team together. I know what happened to Donatello was heartbreaking..." Splinter paused for a moment and cleared his throat. "Please, do your best to be there for him, but be wary of pushing him away even further…"

Leo's shoulders slumped. This was not what he had expected to hear.

"Hai, Sensei."

Splinter closed his eyes, effectively silencing any further discussion. Raising his eyes, Leo stared hard into the singular flame, as if it would give him the answers he needed. Splinter made it all sound so easy. _Just be there for him?_ How could he do that when Mikey wouldn't even let him get close?

The look in Mikey's eyes still haunted Leo's waking thoughts. That emotionless blue void where once boundless life and energy had dwelt gave him the impression that a large part of his brother's soul was missing. It chilled him to the core of his being that he might be responsible for removing that vital portion of Mikey's identity.

Leo closed his eyes and concentrated on finding solace in meditation. What he found instead was dark foreboding that clung to him like sap on a tree. He knew that he deserved all of Mikey's animosity, but more than anything, he just wanted his goofy little brother back.

* * *

Mikey pushed himself off of his bed, struggling against the grogginess that was weighing down his mind. Stretching his arms over his head, he felt the tightness ebb from his back and shoulders. He rubbed his tired eyes and realized that he had forgotten to remove his gear before going to bed. That didn't matter anyway. He was going to get up and train soon anyway, so it was like skipping a step.

Yawning loudly, he lumbered towards his bedroom door, dragging his feet sluggishly. He should probably visit Donnie before going to the dojo. He felt terrible for putting off going into see him but he had been too busy with his own thoughts and his methods of revenge. After last night…

The memory of last night's events came crashing down onto him like a tidal wave and his lips curled into a triumphant sneer. He couldn't believe how his luck had turned out. He had the means of tracking down all three mutants sitting in the pocket of his belt, and he'd gotten to relieve some of his pent up frustration on Hun, then on his brothers. Whooping with excitement, he flung open his bedroom door, not even bothering to shut it behind him.

Mikey's feet carried him to Donnie's lab, then he paused before the door. He wanted to gather himself before visiting his brother. The excitement soon died down as he stared at the dull metal door. After all, he had blown him off yesterday.

Bracing himself, he pushed open the door and poked his head inside. Donnie sat alone at his desk, slouching in his wheelchair. Mikey was surprised to see him up, and was even more surprised to see him alone. But, at least he could visit him in peace and catch up-for the most part. He eased himself inside and carefully shut the door, making as much little noise as he could.

Then he took light, quiet steps over towards his brother. He instantly noticed that Donnie was staring intently at the pill bottle resting on his computer desk, as if he were attempting to use the Force to move it closer. The muscles in his neck strained, and his chest rose and fell unsteadily.

"Hey…," Mikey murmured softly.

Donnie started at the sound of his voice and tilted his head to the side until he met his blue eyes. His lips shifted to an uncomfortable smile, putting on a paper thin mask of brave perseverance.

"Hey, Mikey."

Mikey lifted a hand and tenderly placed it on his shoulder. The scars ran like trails of bunched rope under Donnie's pale green skin, and the cracks on his plastron were black and deep as his body slowly stitched itself back together. He looked a lot better than he had the last time Mikey had seen him, but he still looked awful.

Donnie caught his intense perusal and looked away, his face reddening with embarrassed shame. Immediately, Mikey averted his gaze and settled on the pill bottle sitting on the desk.

"Donnie, do you need anything? I could get it…"

"Yeah, actually," Donnie croaked, his voice dry and agonized. "I could use like two, maybe three of those pills on the desk," he paused for a moment to catch a breath. "I can't get them myself with my arms like this," he finished with a slight, painful whine.

Glancing between Donnie and the orange bottle, Mikey wondered how he had gotten over to the desk with his wheelchair. Did one of his brothers set him in the chair and leave him there alone? But as he saw how Donnie's muscles trembled violently, he realized that he must've slowly wheeled himself over to the desk, only able to use the limited mobility in his torso to propel himself forward. He must've been in a lot of pain to be that desperate for any kind of relief.

Mikey plucked up the bottle, dumped two of the thick, white pills on to his palm and immediately offered them to his brother. Immediately Donnie leaned forward, allowing Mikey to pop them in his mouth. He swallowed them dry and grimaced at the bitter aftertaste.

Guilt rose up within him as Donnie sat back in his chair, the relief all too evident in his face. But, he couldn't let Donnie know. He couldn't let Donnie see. When it was all over, he would tell him about everything. For now, he needed to hide behind his trademarked carefree smile.

"Thanks," Donnie gasped out as he shifted his weight, adjusting his casts more comfortably on the armrests.

The single syllable snapped Mikey out of his thoughts, and he set the pill bottle back onto the desk.

"No problem, D"

He pulled up a stool and sat down next to him, wondering what he should say next. It was awful, seeing Donnie bound to the chair like that, unable to even help himself. Mikey knew that he hated it and that he couldn't wait until he could go back to inventing and tinkering with his tools in his workshop.

Donnie leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling.

"So, it's been awhile since I've seen you...Is everything alright?"

At the question, Mikey lowered his head and bit into his lower lip. Even though it seems like he's been doing everything right lately, there was _always_ _something_ he did wrong. He couldn't even visit his brother.

"Yeah, it's been fine," he mumbled self-consciously.

"Mmm 'kay."

"Yeah…"

There was a long awkward silence as both brothers looked around the room, trying to think of something to say.

"I heard you kicked Raph's ass," Donnie commented with a sidelong smirk.

Mikey's nearly fell out of his chair at the random comment.

"How did you-"

"He was storming through here last night, bitching about it after you left." Donnie chuckled softly, but the laughter turned into a long period of coughing. Once the fit had subsided, he continued in a raspy voice. "It was really funny, hearing him flustered like that."

Mikey managed a nervous chuckle, though he wasn't able to look Donnie in the eye.

"Yeah, I guess…"

He fidgeted uncomfortably under his brother's questioning gaze.

"What were you guys fighting about anyway?" he asked, his voice fatigued.

Silently gulping, Mikey lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes flickered and he tried to come up with some sort of response. He really didn't want to talk about his issues with their older brothers. It wouldn't help anything, even if he did. Even Donnie couldn't make those two leave him alone.

Besides, it was his burden to carry.

Inhaling deeply, he regained his composure and shrugged.

"Nothing much. I just annoyed him. You know, same old, same old."

Donnie scoffed softly and shook his head, grimacing slightly from the dull pain. Mikey relaxed, knowing that his lie had been believable enough to fool his brother.

"That sounds about right," Donnie said dismissively, closing his eyes for a moment.

Mikey glanced down at his hands and stretched out his fingers. He balked when he saw that stained bandages were still wrapped around his knuckles. Carefully, he unwound the wrappings and discretely tucked them into his belt. Luckily, Donnie didn't notice.

Then, he leaned back on the stool, causing it to creak slightly. He shifted his head back towards his brother and saw that Donnie's eyes were shining brightly. barely concealing the extent of his agony. Guilt radiating throughout his conscience in pulsing waves as his eyes trailed back over the many knotted scars lining his skin. The scene of Donnie flying through the air, falling into the river appeared behind his eyes. _No, don't think about it. It's not_ your _fault. It's_ their _fault!_ he thought to himself, clenching his jaw.

"Mikey?"

Snapped out of his abstraction, Mikey turned his attention back to Donnie, who stared at him with large, concerned eyes.

"Yeah?" he answered, attempting to keep his voice light.

"Are you sure you're-"

"I'm fine," Mikey interrupted abruptly, "Just thinking about getting some jelly bean pizza. I'm feelin' kinda hungry."

 _It's not a total lie_ , he thought, placing a hand against his plastron over his grumbling stomach. He could use some breakfast, though, he wouldn't eat jelly bean pizza. That stuff was too heavy and greasy. But, Donnie didn't have to know that.

"Oh man...I could really go for some pizza right now," Donnie said wistfully, his lips twisting into a sad smile.

Grimacing slightly, Mikey felt terrible. He couldn't believe how he was acting around Donnie. They used to be so close, and yet-

No, he wouldn't think about it.

Donning a cheesy smile, Mikey hoisted himself to his feet and pointed towards the door.

"Hey, if ya' want. I can go get you some. You okay here?"

Donnie's eyes were alight with gratitude as his smile broadened, displaying the wide gap in his teeth.

"That'd be great, Mikey. Yeah, I'm fine."

After flashing him a thumbs up, he slipped through the door and headed for the kitchen. The lair was blissfully quiet, which was alright by him. Mikey really didn't want to see Raph or Leo today. He just wasn't interested in any more confrontation with them right now and he knew that if he saw them, they would just want to pick a fight with him. Just like they did last night.

Mikey opened the refrigerator and pulled out a dented pizza box. Lifting the lid, he saw that there were five slices of supreme pizza with anchovies inside. Donnie loves anchovies, so he figured he'd heat him up a few slices of that. He tossed the box onto the counter and stuck his head back inside the door to see if there was anything that he could eat in a hurry.

There were two bananas and an unopened carton of orange juice sitting on a lower shelf. That would do. Shrugging, he pulled out the fruit and juice and placed them on the counter as well. He then stood up on his toes and grabbed a plate and two glasses from a high cupboard. Then he pulled out three slices from the cardboard box and plopped them onto the plate.

Even though he wasn't a fan of anchovies, the pizza did seem kind of appetizing to him, but he shook his head. He still needed to watch what he ate. After removing junk food from his diet, he'd gotten good results as far as his physique and his overall health went and he would not allow temptation to set him back.

With a swipe of his hand, he opened the microwave door and shoved the pizza inside. After setting the timer, he turned his attention to his own breakfast. As he listened to the low buzz of the appliance, he quickly peeled the skin off the first banana and ate a third of it in one bite. He hadn't even realized how hungry he was until he completely devoured the fruit.

Tossing the peel into the garbage, he munched on the other banana. The alarm on the microwave sounded, but Mikey momentarily ignored it as he finished his breakfast. When the other peel was discarded, he filled up the glasses with juice and removed the steaming pizzas from the microwave. Balancing the plate on one hand and the two glasses in the other, he concentrated on not spilling his cargo as he walked into the living area.

He froze a few steps outside of the kitchen, his heart seizing. Leo was closing the dividers leading to the dojo. He turned away from him, massaging his temples roughly. Careful to makes as little sound as possible, Mikey started making a beeline for the lab. Maybe if he moved fast enough, he could get past him before he even knew he was there.

"Mikey?"

 _Not fast enough…_ He didn't stop at the sound of Leo's voice. He wasn't in the mood to deal with this today. Walking faster, he kept his eyes forward, focusing on his destination.

"Mikey, come on. Talk to me, bro…"

Mikey slipped through the lab door and shut the door firmly behind him with his foot, effectively silencing the desperate pleas. Donnie looked up at the sound of the door slamming and he frowned in Mikey's direction.

"What was that about?"

Mikey put on his most disarming smile. He wanted to put that conversation off as long as possible.

"Nothing. Ready for a slice, bro?"

Donnie perked up at the sight and smell of the leftover pizza.

"Did Einstein propose the first Theory of Relativity?" he responded rhetorically as Mikey set the pizza down on the desk.

"Did he?" Mikey asked, more to fill the silence than if he were actually interested.

"As a matter of fact…"

Mikey stopped paying attention to Donnie's rambling about the particulars of Einstein's theory. He settled onto his stool and took a long sip from his glass of juice. He didn't fail to notice the glassy look in his brother's eyes as he expostulated about particle physics and other things he didn't understand. It was quite clear that the pain medicine was starting to kick in. He was looking more comfortable in any case.

Picking up a slice of pizza, he angled the point toward Donnie's mouth. His brother's rambling tapered off as he eyed the pizza in Mikey's hand with interest. He took a large bite out of the pizza, sighing with satisfaction as he chewed up the morsel.

Deep down, Mikey knew that he wasn't happy about being fed by someone else, and frankly, it only worsened the guilt constricting his insides. He wondered if Raph and Leo felt just as bad when it came to-

No. It didn't matter how they felt about it.

All that mattered was how Donnie felt, and obviously, he was miserable being so dependent.

His brother had to suffer so much embarrassment and helplessness all because of _him_ -because of his old rashness and _irresponsibility_. Distracted by his shameful thoughts, Mikey shifted slightly and accidentally pushed the pizza into Donnie's face above his lips, smearing the sauce up into his nose.

"Tch!" Mikey exclaimed, furious with himself for being such a klutz. _Screw up!_ Quickly setting the plate aside, along with the mostly eaten pizza, he leaned forward and wiped the mess away with the side of his hand.

"Sorry, D," he apologized gruffly. Donnie licked a smear of pizza sauce from his lip with the tip of his tongue.

"It's alright...I just can't wait till these casts come off. They really itch!" He squirmed slightly in his wheelchair, probably to scratch one or more of the itchy places under the plaster.

"Didn't Sensei say they come off soon?"

Donnie's hazy eyes lit up with delight and he gave Mikey a crooked grin. He stared into space dazedly for a moment, then nodded like he had recalled something he had forgotten.

"Uhh, next week I think? Maybe the week after? Hee hee.." he sniggered, nearly snorting.

Mikey forced an empty laugh. Donnie was slowly becoming as high as a kite and would soon slip into a hazy sleep in his wheelchair. At least the pain was dulled to a bearable degree, but it made the usually brilliant mind foggy and distant. Clearing his throat, he forced the uncomfortable thought away, focusing on the task at hand.

"Alright, let's get some food in ya' " he said with a jesting tone as he lifted the pizza to his lips once more.

* * *

Pulling the door shut behind him, Mikey turned and nearly plowed into Raph. His emerald green eyes bore into him with fierce intensity, challenging him. Mikey stood tall and tensed up, ready for conflict.

But Raph merely grunted and averted his gaze. He hadn't meant to run into Mikey so soon after everything, and frankly, Mikey hadn't anticipated it either. In fact, looking at his older brother's face made him feel queasy. All the backhanded comments and jabs that had ever been made at his expense echoed in the back of his mind, refusing to cease.

Tired of his presence, Mikey scoffed and turned away, only to feel a firm hand grab onto his arm. He paused, glaring over his shoulder at his brother. Raph didn't look at him in the eyes. Instead, he kept them fixated on the door to the lab.

"How is he?" he asked somberly.

With a solid jerk, Mikey tore his arm free from his grasp. Raph didn't try to regain his hold, but merely stepped back, standing directly in front of his little brother.

"He's fine, I guess. I dunno...I gave him pills and fed him," Mikey grinded out between his teeth, but not bothering to keep the bitter accusation out of his tone. They were supposed to be taking care of Donnie, and he had found him alone, trembling with exhaustion and agony. And they always claimed that _he_ always screwed up.

One of Raph's eyes ticked and he set his jaw firmly.

" 'Kay, 'cause I was about to do that…"

"Okay, whatever." Mikey growled impatiently, cynically doubting that Raph was doing anything of the kind.

He tried to step past Raph, but he shifted into his path, blocking his escape. This was getting annoying. Didn't these guys get it yet? Why don't they just mind their own business?

"Look Mikey, we need to talk about-"

"We don't need to _do_ anything, so leave me alone!" Mikey barked in his face.

Raph flinched, and for a moment, looked genuinely hurt. However the expression was quickly masked by an indignant sneer, but Mikey wasn't in the mood. He didn't even give him the chance to say another word as he pushed past him and stomped off.

Mikey didn't care where he was going. He just wanted to get away from his two oldest brothers. They just wouldn't get off his shell. With each step, he felt anger skim below the surface and the never ending pressure weighing him down.

No, he needed to keep his cool. He couldn't keep giving into his anger. After all, he was the bigger turt-

His thoughts were suddenly disrupted when he realized that he was standing in the dojo. Of course he had come to the dojo; it was out of pure habit now, coming in here to train. He merely shrugged and rolled his shoulders.

Then snickering ever so slightly, he began stretching out his limbs. With each new pose, he felt the fibers in his muscles loosen and flex with ease. Some of the built up pressure subsided, and then, he relaxed his stance.

His eyes began to wander the room as he contemplated on what exercise to work on. He was bored of katas, but building fundamentals was crucial. Perhaps, he could work on his agility exercises again, but he would still be bored.

 _Dang, what should I work on?_

As his sight roamed the room, he settled onto the tree momentarily. His smile widened as flashes of the scuffle against his brothers entered his mind. He had beaten them. Though, just barely. Raph still held more strength than him, since it was made clear to him during their little skirmish before leaving the lair. If Raph could still overpower him, then Rocksteady would easily be able to.

In the corner sat the weight set Raph had been using to build his up muscle mass. The weight bar sat in its cradle with the iron discs still sitting on each end. Mikey's eyes gleamed with delight as an idea emerged in his head.

 _That's perfect!_

He walked over to the bench press and eyed it over carefully. Usually, doing bench presses without one of his brothers to spot him wasn't a good idea, but he didn't feel like using the dumbbells today. Slipping underneath the bar, he maneuvered it out of the cradle and slowly pushed it skyward.

Puffing out his cheeks, he lowered the weight down to within a couple of inches of his plastron before pushing it up again. As he repeated this, his began to feel blood rush in his ears. _Gotta get stronger… Gotta beat them… Make them pay…._ He focused his energy and pushed his arms up, trying to keep his mind clear of unnecessary thoughts. Though, after performing a few reps, his focus began to falter and his thoughts strayed.

Mikey continued to think about taking the mutants down, but then his brother's pained eyes pushed the thought away, followed by the string of scars snaking across his skin. The deep, jagged cracks across his plastron. His broken arms and legs, encased in dingy plaster casts. The haze of pain medication that kept Donnie's sharp mind jumbled so that he could get a few hours of painless sleep every night.

All because of his incompetence.

The bar slipped in his trembling hands, slightly dipping to one side. Mikey quickly tightened the muscles in his arms and adjusted his hold, grasping it more securely. It wouldn't be good if the weights fell on his plastron and crushed him. He couldn't afford to hurt himself.

After all, he planned on making everything right. He would make the mutants sorry they had ever messed with his family. With each repetition, he felt his determination rise. It fueled him as he pushed himself to the limits. Mikey was nowhere near done, and he wouldn't slack off because of a little distraction.

He was going to destroy them.

Lowering the bar again, he could feel heart racing, and his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He kept pumping the bar at a steady rate, intent on increasing his strength. But once again, Donnie's glazed, red eyes filled his mind. The probing gaze. Even the awkward questions. In order to keep him calm, he had felt the need to lie to him. Mikey couldn't drag him into the drama; he was already in enough pain because of him.

He had already done enough.

As he hoisted the bar upwards, Mikey thought about how hard it must've been for Donnie. His heart felt heavy with guilt; the very same remorse and shame that always ran beneath the surface of his determination.

The reason he rarely ever visited anymore.

It was just so difficult, seeing him that way.

All because of him.

 _Stop it, it's not your fault!_ he chided himself. The mental image of him wiping away Donnie's agonized tears when he awoke settled in his mind, as vividly as when it had first happened. _It's THEIR fault!_

Huffing out in frustration, he thrusted the bar upwards, his arms beginning to quiver. Raph and Leo's accusing glares caused him to lose his focus momentarily, nearly dropping the bar onto himself. Mikey really needed to calm down before he really hurt himself.

He had to stay strong-to persevere.

After all, he wasn't the same Mikey anymore.

He had made so much progress, and even Sensei looks at him proudly during their training sessions now. He had finally manned up and could be a force to be reckoned with. A force that pummeled Hun to the ground. At the mere thought of it, Mikey's smile twitched, and the flow of each press stabilized to a steady, comfortable cadence. Shutting his eyes, he recalled the feeling of having that kind of power. The rush of adrenaline.

Honestly, he couldn't wait to feel it again when he got Bebop right where he wanted him.

Over time, the fibers in Mikey's muscles stretched in pain, and arms began to feel weak. His joints began to give way, making his movements stiff. The presses were beginning to lose their effectiveness, and that was when he knew he had to call it quits.

Mustering up the last reserves of his strength, he lifted the bar back up, and carefully placed it within the cradle. He laid his head back against the padded bench and rested for a moment. As he allowed his heart rate to slow, he contemplated on his next move.

He focused on his breathing and shifted his weight slightly. He felt something press up against his plastron uncomfortably, so he dug out the item in question from his belt. Honestly, he had almost forgotten about Hun's cell.

Twisting his lips to a sneer, he unlocked the screen and scrolled through the messages and memos. Most of them were about different 'sales' and what-not. However, when he read over his messages from the night before, his heart began to beat hard underneath his plastron.

If he was going to make him pay, he needed to come up with an actual plan. Not just show up and throw his fists blindly like he had with Hun. No, he needed to be smart about this. Actually use his brain, _then_ brawn.

He had plenty of awesome ninja skills in his arsenal that he could use effectively.

It was only a matter of time and patience...

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **BelatedBeliever:** Hello everyone! We hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to everyone for all of their support and kind words of encouragement. As always, it's been such a treat to learn how to write angst from one of the best :) *winks at Faith* Thank you all for reading!

 **FaithfulWhispers:** *returns a wink with a smile* You flatter me, Believer. But yeah, thanks for all the support everyone. Sorry that this chapter took us awhile, the thing is, we have our own fanfics we work on as well as real life stuff going on. So with longer chapters, comes longer update wait. I apologize, but I hope it's worth it ^.^ This chapter was fun to write, and I enjoy every chapter with Believer! Thanks again everyone!


	11. Chapter 11

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Mikey pulled Hun's cell phone out of his belt for the hundredth time that day and scrolled through the texts once more.

[text] I have a shipment that may be interesting to you. - Hun

[text] guns? drugs? jewels? - Z

[text] Laser cannons taken from a kraang warehouse. $5000 - Hun

[text] sold! 414 e. peterson. friday midnight - Z

Mikey had scoped the place out the night before. It was a small bodega, covered by striped awnings and surrounded by wooden stands that contained an assortment of produce during the day. Plenty of places to hide behind. He couldn't have arranged for a better meeting place if he tried.

Smiling at the thought, he put the cell back into his belt and breathed deeply. There was still two hours before the scheduled meeting, but with the way things have been in the lair lately, he needed to leave now if he was going to be unnoticed.

Quietly slipping through his bedroom door, he crept along in the shadows. He already made sure he had all his gear, so there was no reason for him to stop. As he made his way towards the turnstiles, he noticed how quiet everything seemed, but when he strained his hearing, he heard faint chanting and murmuring coming from a distant room.

 _Good, they're distracted. I better hightail it to get there before Bebop._

He swiftly made his way to the lair's entrance and leapt over the turnstiles without a glance back.

* * *

Mikey perched on the roof across the street from the bodega for a full hour before there was any sign of Bebop. He had almost given up hope that the warthog would show up at all, but a glare of headlights and the rattle of an elderly engine announced his arrival.

The van rumbled into the alley beside the bodega and belched a tailpipe full of black smoke before choking and dying. Bebop climbed out of the driver's side, his purple mohawk distinct even in the darkness, and kicked the front tire in frustration. Mikey could hear irate cursing coming from the alley as he crept through the shadows, silent as a cat.

"Damn this piece of shit!" the warthog's voice complained shrilly from behind the open hood of the van.

Climbing up on a fire escape landing, Mikey crouched in the shadow of the building. He could clearly see Bebop leaning over the engine, his head almost completely inside the compartment. This was too perfect. He didn't even need to be sneaky to catch him off guard. The warthog was so preoccupied with his engine problems that Mikey could have paraded a marching band through the alley and wouldn't have been noticed.

He shimmied down the iron ladder and dropped behind a set of wooden crates stacked haphazardly against a dumpster. The loud clanging coming from the van disguised any sounds that he may have made, so he felt perfectly safe.

Reaching into a belt pocket, Mikey pulled out a green balloon partially filled with tempra paint. The balloon felt squishy in his fingers as he stretched out his water balloon throwing arm. Mikey had wracked his brain trying to weaken his opponent's defense. Keeping him visible, he decided, would be priority number one, then he could worry about the lasers.

With a flick of his wrist he hurled the balloon at his target. Bright pink paint splattered all over the back of Bebop's jumpsuit, as well as on the headlamps and hood of the van.

"What the hell?" Bebop screeched indignantly, frantically looking around for his attacker.

It took all of his willpower to contain a snicker as Mikey crouched down, fading into the shadows. After all, he needed to get him razzled up, then strike at the perfect opportunity. The moment that Bebop backed away from the van and pulled out his gun, Mikey sprung to the side and threw a shuriken at him. It struck the gun, knocking it from his hand and causing him to yelp in surprise.

"Come out, you friggin coward!" the mutant wailed in rage.

Mikey darted through the darkness and circled behind him. Dodging an incoming laser, he kicked him away. His enemy toppled backwards, but immediately lurched to his feet.

Bebop scrunched his brow against his goggles and huffed in annoyance.

"What do you want, little turtle?"

Mikey clenched his fists as he settled into his fighting stance.

"To pay you back for what you did to my brother," he growled sternly.

Bebop shifted his weight to the side as he rubbed his chin. Then his lips curled into a sneer, tugging against his tusks.

"So he _is_ dead…"

The comment caused Mikey's temper to boil over, and so, his hands immediately found their way to his chucks. As he gripped onto the handles tightly, his arms quivered, itching to pummel him.

Bebop noticed this, and in response, he backed into the vehicle and activated his cloaking device. It was futile, since Mikey had already tagged him with the paint balloon. With his temper fueling him, he dug his heels into the pavement, rushing towards the glob of paint.

It rolled to the side, but Mikey was faster as he lunged towards his target. His foot planted straight into the paint, sending spatters up his leg. Bebop uttered a cry and his device faltered for a moment before it completely concealed him again.

Again, it was useless.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through Mikey as he blocked the warthog's escape route. There was no way he was going to let him go without a beat down. Not after what he did.

Besides, Mikey wanted to feel him squirm beneath him, writhing in pain.

Just like Donnie had done.

Gripping his weapons tight, he propelled himself towards the bright pink paint. An invisible force struck him across the face, but it did not deter him. He released the chain of the kusarigama and flung it towards him. It collided with its target, causing Mikey's arm to jerk slightly from the impact. There was a shower of sparks, followed by a screech of pain. The cloaking device stuttered for a moment then failed altogether. The warthog was now fully exposed as he tried his utmost to break free. Though, Mikey held him down as he dragged him closer. He could hear his boots scraping against the road.

Finally he'd had enough, and so, he summoned a quick burst of strength as he tugged him closer. The ugly mutant fell to Mikey's feet with the wind knocked out of him. _Perfect._

Letting go of the chucks, they fell to the ground with a clatter. He lifted his foot up and drove it into the center of his enemy's back. Bebop arched his back against him, and as he cried out, Mikey twisted his heel right into his spine.

"This is _nothing_ compared to what you put him through!" Mikey spat as he moved his foot and lifted him up by the back of his suit, ignoring the moist paint on his fingers.

He yanked him backwards, causing his head to jerk sharply back. Wrapping his arm around Bebop's chest, he jerked him back harder, listening for the inevitable crack. Sure enough, there was the sharp sound of the vertebrae splitting. Bebop screamed and whimpered as the turtle released his hold on his shoulders and allowed him to flop to the ground. He tried to rise, but as Mikey had hoped, his legs didn't work anymore. The broken back had ensured that.

The mutant tried to crawl away, but Mikey grabbed his ankle and dragged him back as he collected his nunchakus. He was sick of playing 'cat and mouse', so he held him firmly in place as he wheeled an arm back.

His nunchaku spun in a blur and he struck Bebop in the mouth with the fast moving handles. The impact cracked one of the warthog's tusks and sent splinters of broken enamel skittering across the pavement. Bebop screamed in pain, struggling against his captor's grip. In another quick motion, he shattered the other tusk, causing blood to gush out of the wound and over his hand.

Mikey raised the nunchaku high over his head. The warthog tensed violently, and protested loudly.

"Wait! No! Not the goggles! Have mercy! "

The handles connected with the goggles a split second after the plea for mercy. Shattering the glass, plastic remnants flew across the alley, completely useless. Then roaring with outrage, Bebop swung uselessly at Mikey.

"You little bastard! Those cost me five hundred smackaroos!"

The turtle didn't say a word. He wasn't here to talk. Giving into his bloodlust, he swung his nunchaku back and forth, striking his victim over and over with his weapon until the wooden handle was slick with bright red blood. He pulled his arm then and regained control of himself.

Bebop's voice was faint and raspy as he raised his bloodshot eyes to meet his narrowed blue ones.

"Please. Don't… don't kill me. I'll do anything you want! Just… Let me go."

He eyed Bebop's beaten body over. The warthog had sustained a lot of damage, and surely, Mikey had pummeled him to a pulp. He had done what he had set out to do tonight. There was just no way he could move on his own, and there was a chance he may not even survive the night.

Tired of the sight, Mikey picked up his chucks and placed them back in their holsters. "Fine, freak. You got off easy…," he murmured as he stepped down the alley.

Suddenly, there was a twisted, wheezing laugh.

"You," he coughed, "you're dead. You know that, right?"

Mikey turned back to look down as his defeated opponent, his expression hardened. The warthog's broken tusks were bleeding profusely, drops of crimson falling from his chin as he spoke.

"We'll find you, and we'll kill all you freaks. Think we won't? Now that Shredder's gone, we run this city. It's only a matter of time before we hunt you all down."

Mikey's blood ran cold as he listened to Bebop's threatening words. He was right… as long as they were alive, they would keep coming after them. If not Bebop, then another like him. That threat constantly hung over his family, unless someone could do something about it.

Unless _he_ could do something about it.

He glanced at the steaming engine compartment. Reaching inside, he pulled out the tire iron. He adjusted it in his fingers, testing its weight.

Part of him protested what was in his mind. _This is wrong! Think about what you're doing! If you kill him, you're as bad as he is. They will never forgive you for this!_

His hands gripped the bar tighter as he struggled with his thoughts. Then closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply as the mental image of Donnie laying in excruciating pain appeared. How broken and beaten he was. The fact that he was on the verge of _death._

Mikey reopened his eyes, but now there was a cold, expressionless blue sheen to them.

 _But at least they will be safe from him. If they can't forgive me for saving their lives, then that's their problem._

With a hardened resolve, he stalked towards the bloodied mutant. Small beady eyes followed his progress, and Mikey could have sworn that he saw all of the remaining color leave Bebop's face.

"Whatchu doin' man?"

" _Protecting_ my family from you," he bit out in distaste, raising the tire iron over his head.

"Wait...no…," the warthog wheezed in agony as he feebly held up his hand in self-defense.

He swung the iron with all of his strength. The metal rod made contact with Bebop's skull with a sickening crunch. Mikey could feel the bone cave in under the force of the blow. Instantly, the warthog collapsed to the pavement, twitched once, then lay still.

Mikey glanced down at the growing puddle flowing freely from the wound in Bebop's skull. Revulsion spread through him as the thick, metallic stench of blood began wafting up from the ground. He uselessly tried to choke back the bile rising in his throat.

Releasing the tire iron, he stumbled backwards and heaved the contents of his stomach out onto the pavement. His eyes watered, and the odor of blood and vomit was too much. A massive wave of fear, repugnance, anxiety, and guilt crashed down on him in full. It filled his entire being, and the burning sensation smoldered in his throat.

Though, there was something else lurking within him.

Lifting his head, he wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, smearing Bebop's blood onto his lips. He spat out the gruesome taste disgustedly before straightening himself. The mutant laid there, blood pooling everywhere. Because of him.

He glanced down at his hands and back towards the crumpled body. Again and again.

There was no way he could admit it. What he had done wasn't right. He was better than this.

But deep down, he knew he wasn't.

The very fact that he held power over his enemy, beat him into the pavement, and had ended his life, gave him a high like no other. The very same high he felt as mercilessly beat the crap out of Hun. In fact, it was the same _thrill_ he felt when he overpowered his brothers.

As he looked back towards the body, his head began to pound. His stomach churned sickeningly as the bile rose back up. Mikey staggered over to the side and collapsed to his knees. With trembling hands, he cupped them over his mouth and tried to calm himself. Though, he couldn't help it.

Why did he have to kill him?

 _Because moron, your family will never be safe with them around. Got that?_

Inhaling deeply, he pushed down the doubt. He pushed aside the remorse. The guilt. Everything. Nothing else mattered other than his family's safety.

Donnie will _never_ have to go through that again as long as he's around.

Looking back up towards the cloudless sky, he exhaled and thought about it. _We run the city now._ Mikey scoffed at his words. Now that they had no one to follow, they scrambled and took power for themselves.

One of them was dead now, and there were two left. Mikey needed to prepare himself. With Bebop's death, he just initiated a war with the underground. There would be plenty of blood spilled before it was all over, and when it came time for it, he would be ready.

"Booyakasha."

Not even looking back, Mikey faded into the darkness of the alley. If he stayed out too late, Leo would get on his shell again. And frankly, he didn't want to explain why he was covered in paint and blood-someone else's blood at that.

No, he was going to keep his two older brothers out of this.

This was _his_ war.

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **Faithfulwhispers:** Hey everyone! I seriously hope you enjoyed this chapter. Really, this was a blast and Believer is so talented! It's been amazing working with her, since we've been itching for this chapter a long time coming. I also want to thank y'all again for the reviews and follows. We never expected to get so many, and we can't thank you all enough for the support. Please continue to leave us feedback, since we truly appreciate it. *huggles Believer* Amazing job, girlie!

 **BelatedBeliever:** Thanks Faith! You've taught me so much about writing angst and I feel like a much better writer for it. And thank you all for reading and reviewing. We deeply appreciate all of your kind words of encouragement. We hope that you all have enjoyed this chapter and we will see you soon with the next one!


	12. Chapter 12

The sound of rushing water filled his ears, and his heart pounded underneath his plastron. The image of flowing blood and the sickening crunch of broken bone played over and over in his mind. He couldn't look at his reflection; he was too absorbed with washing the paint and blood off of his skin.

Mikey scrubbed his arms and hands frantically underneath the lukewarm water, but the pink paint was plastered to his skin, along with the residue of blood. He opened the hot tap all the way and scrubbed harder, ignoring the burning from the intense scouring.

Little by little the paint peeled away, but his skin turned a sickly pink from being rubbed raw. He didn't care, he just needed to get the metallic stench out of his nose.

He had never meant for it to go that far.

But it was too late for regrets now. He knew that. The time for mercy had passed, so why did he feel guilt eating away at the pit of his stomach? After all, he wasn't really sorry. He did it to protect Donnie-to protect his family.

Even as he thought this, he struggled to contain the whirl of emotions within his soul. He was thankful that Leo and Raph had gone to bed before he had returned, so he didn't have to confront them; that was the last thing he needed. Even though he had hardened his resolve against pity and weakness, he felt the fibers of his emotional strength stretch and weaken. They threatened to give way, but no, he was much stronger than that.

He had proven this to himself and everyone else.

But still, there was still more work to be done-his mission was only just beginning.

Once he managed to wash the paint off, he turned off the faucet and raised his head to look into the mirror. His blue eyes looked as dull as slate in the reflection-as if a dark film glossed over them. Not only that, but his face looked hardened, and he could see the veins standing out in his neck.

Had he really changed all that much?

Sure, there was a sense of pride brimming within his core, but he struggled to keep the thoughts at bay. He _felt_ strong, but why was his conscience screaming curses at him in the background? Wasn't he justified in what he had done?

Easing his eyes shut, he inhaled deeply and let the air flow into him. The images of the fight flickered behind his eyelids, sending a tingling sensation down his shell. He had taken him out so easily, so mercilessly. As he let the scene play through his memory, he remembered distinctly how it felt as Bebop writhed in agony under his heel. The sense of power and thrill that came along with it was intoxicating.

His stomach churned as he relived the scene of cracking his skull open with the tire iron in his mind's eye, and bile threatened to bubble up in his throat. Immediately, he opened his eyes and leaned over the sink. He quickly turned the water back on and splashed some on his face, hoping to clear his mind.

After all, what's done is done.

Though something else stirred his blood and excited him, but he didn't want to admit it, even to himself. He was better than that.

Or was he really?

Releasing a deep sigh, he turned off the water again and gave his reflection one last glance. He was on the right path. He knew that-no, he felt that. The thoughts dimmed as fatigue settled onto his shoulders. It was late, so he headed towards his room.

His heart rate steadied as he pushed open his door, but he could still feel the tension skimming just below the surface. Each step dragged across the stone floor, and he rubbed at his heavy eyes. Perhaps, sleep would be the best thing to settle his disquieted nerves.

Mikey flopped face down onto his mattress, not even bothering to pull the covers over him. It didn't take long for sleep to overtake him, and soon he was snoring loudly, completely dead to the world.

He opened his eyes and found himself standing in a brick lined alley that stretched infinitely in both directions. Not sure what else to do, he ran ahead, hoping to find a way out to the streets or to a manhole cover. He hadn't gone far when Bebop's broken down van appeared as if by magic before him. Curious, he walked around the front of the engine compartment. As he peeked around the hood, a spray of warm, crimson liquid splattered onto his face, causing him to stumble backwards.

He touched the droplets on his cheek and looked at the stain on his fingers for a moment. Disgusted, he tried to wipe the smear off onto the palm of his hand. Instead of disappearing, it spread like vibrant red paint across his skin. He panicked and tried to rub the blood off onto his forearms, legs, plastron. Anything to get this stuff off of him. That only made it worse. Soon, large streaks of red covered him from head to foot, and the more that he tried to get rid of it, the farther it spread.

He looked up to see the Shredder standing before him. But that wasn't possible. The Shredder was long gone. They had defeated him. Yet, he stood there, with Tiger Claw on his right and Fishface on his left. Enemies long gone returned to haunt him.

"And here I thought he was just a mere cub," Tiger Claw commented with a wry smirk.

"Well done, Michelangelo," Shredder said smugly. "You have proven yourself far more ruthless than I could have believed."

Mikey drew back, indignation rising in his chest. Did Shredder just sound… _proud_? The thought made him sick to his stomach.

"I-I did it to protect them! I'm _nothing_ like you freaks!" He cried defiantly, his voice cracking with desperation.

"Oh, aren't you? Look again."

Mikey turned and looked at his reflection in the mirror of the van. His orange mask was gone, replaced by a black mask that encircled the top of his head. The symbol for the Foot clan was emblazoned on the cloth centered on his forehead like a third eye.

"NO!"

He sat bolt upright, the terrified scream tearing from his throat. Hyperventilating, he looked around, twisting and turning his head as he tried to orient himself. He was in his own room, in his own bed. There was no blood, no corpse, no Shredder.

There was a knock at the door and Raph poked his head inside, maskless with bags hanging below his tired eyes.

"Mikey? You okay, bro?"

Mikey turned his shell to the door so he wouldn't have to look at him.

"I'm fine," he mumbled sullenly.

"You sure? I heard-"

"Grow some ears, Raph. I said, I'm _fine_!" Mikey interrupted ungraciously. He heard the door slam hard behind him and his brother's angry footsteps stomping away down the hall. Burying his face in his pillow, he tried to go back to sleep, but it was completely out of his reach. He lay in the darkness, wide awake, with nothing but his demons to keep him company through the rest of the night.

* * *

Mikey drew his nunchakus and watched as Leo settled into his fighting stance. The pose was so predictable that he didn't even bother to analyze what he may do first. Morning practice had almost become boring at this stage. He knew his brothers' tactics backwards and forwards, so he only came to boost his self-esteem and to appease his sensei. Master Splinter looked over the two of them approvingly before beginning the exercise.

"Hajime!"

Mikey blocked the initial slice and knocked his brother off of his feet in a fraction of a second. Leo hit the mat hard and rolled to the side defensively. He sprang to his feet, ready to counter Mikey's next attack, but his little brother was too fast for him.

The kusarigama chain flew straight as an arrow and wrapped around his plastron, pinning his arms to his sides. Mikey smirked and jerked the chain hard, pulling Leo off of his feet and slamming him ignominiously onto his shell.

"Yame!"

Leo could feel his face burning with embarrassment as he struggled out of his bonds. How had he defeated him so quickly? Splinter was right. Mikey really _was_ taking his training more seriously.

As Raph gathered himself to his feet, he eyed his little brother carefully. He knew that he couldn't just simply attack him head on anymore. He would expect that. Raph could see the analytic look in his eyes, studying him unnervingly. In response, Mikey stepped back and began to twirl the chucks, teasing him with a smile.

"Hajime!"

Mikey held his ground as he watch Raph dash towards the side, obviously for a feint. He recognized the secondary tactic, just as predictable as the head on approach. So unoriginal. As Raph lifted a sai, he pivoted on his heel and ducked. The sai passed over his head, and for a moment, the hot head almost lost his footing.

Then Mikey rolled forward and sprung to his feet, whipping the chucks around as he turned to face his opponent. In response, Raph staggered backwards to avoid the handle, then recovered his stance.

Mikey took advantage of the momentary distraction and flipped up and over Raph's head. He kicked him hard in the carapace and sent him sprawling forward. He drove him down onto his plastron, pinning him to the mat roughly.

"Yame!"

Mikey gave his brother a fleeting sneer then stood. Snarling, Raph pounded the mat with his fist. Dammit! It had taken less than ten seconds for Mikey to knock him flat on his ass and make him look like as big of a chump as Leo had wrapped up in the chain.

Splinter's eyes scanned his youngest son uncertainly, sensing that indeed there was something different about him today. His posture was more rigid and his face was grim and set, like he had aged twenty years overnight. He began to wonder if Leonardo's concerns were validated.

"I think that will be all for today, my sons," he said, dismissing his students with a curt nod. They all bowed respectfully in turn.

"Hai sensei."

Mikey waited until Leo and Raph had walked towards the entrance before following. He still didn't feel comfortable around them, but he didn't want to stay in the dojo. Splinter stared at him with peaked interest, and honestly, he wasn't in the mood to chat.

Today, he just wasn't up for much.

His shoulders felt heavy, but the load lessened when he thought about how easily he had overpowered his older brothers. It was nearly child's play, and as he stared at the back of their shells, he felt a small sense of pride bubbling underneath the heavy, conflicting emotions.

As he closed the dojo door behind him, he decided that he'd watch some television. After all, when was the last time he actually sat down and relaxed?

He settled himself on the couch, picked up the remote and turned the set on. The highly colorful images of Crognard illuminated the screen. Mikey tried to enjoy the program, but after only about five minutes into the episode, it actually began to annoy him. How had he actually looked forward to watching this garbage? Disgusted, he flipped off the channel, looking for something more interesting to watch. He finally settled on the Channel Six News, where the coiffured head of the anchor was reporting on the increased gang activity in Hell's Kitchen.

"Raph! Where are you, man?"

Mikey turned his head as the sound of Casey's voice echoed through the lair. He sounded breathless and excited. Raph and Leo emerged from their rooms, curious to see what the commotion was about. The vigilante was grinning from ear to ear and looking like Christmas had come early as he hopped over the turnstiles.

"Geez, Casey, think you could make any more noise?" Raph complained as he tramped down the stairs. Casey jumped down onto the couch next to Mikey and put his feet up on the cushions.

"The Purple Dragons are goin' nuts! Someone took care of the freaky warthog mutant last night!"

"Bebop is _dead_?" Leo asked in disbelief. Casey nodded fervently, his black hair bobbing in his earnestness.

"Yeah! Broke his back and cracked his skull open like an egg! Whoever did it must have really hated the guy. He was busted up pretty bad, way before he died."

"Wow... I can't believe it." Leo paced restlessly behind the couch, his face scrunched up in thought. Who would want to kill Bebop? And for that matter, who could actually do it? He was fast and had those lasers that made him virtually untouchable. So, who would be quick enough to actually immobilize him then take him down?

Mikey didn't say a word during this exchange. There wasn't anything that he could add without giving himself away. Slowly, he stood and started walking toward the turnstiles. The need for fresh air pulled at him with a fierce tenacity .

"Mikey!"

His facials turned sour as he heard Leo calling his name, and so, he groaned as he turned to meet his brother's concerned gaze.

"What?" Mikey asked heavily, forming a scowl. Returning the scowl, Leo crossed his arms defensively.

"Don't 'what' me. We need to stay in the lair for now," he exasperated, his stance stiffening.

Tilting his head to the side, Mikey gave him one good look and twisted his lips even tighter. He really, really, didn't want to deal with this right now.

"Well, _I_ don't. You can't make me do _anything_!" he sneered as he tried to turn away.

Leo snatched his hands, resulting in him wincing to the touch. His eyes traveled down to Mikey's fingers and widened in horror.

"What happened to your hands?"

Mikey looked down at his hands, raw from viciously scrubbing the blood from them the night before. Blisters had risen from the exposed patches and the skin around his fingers was peeling badly.

"Why do you care?" he bit out as he pulled from Leo's grip.

"Because you're my brother, Mikey! I'm worried about you and I want you to talk to me."

"And I want _you_ to mind your own damn business!"

Leo recoiled from the venomous words, and for a moment, he was left speechless. But enough was enough, he was sick of Mikey's attitude-he was tired of being nice about it. Splinter made _him_ leader, and had reminded him of his duties to keep his team, and his family, together. It was time to pull rank and put his little brother in his place.

Knitting his brows together, he looked at Mikey sternly, pity fading from his eyes.

"Mikey, this _is_ my business. As your _leader_ , it's my job to make sure that you listen. As your _brother,_ it's my duty to look out for you," he paused for a moment and swallowed down the lump in his throat. "You're to stay in the lair, until I say otherwise. That's an _order_."

Mikey's eyes narrowed rebelliously. He had some nerve to be ordering him around like this. Who did he think he was? His dad? He didn't have to take this crap, especially from Leo.

"Whatever…," he muttered out as he headed towards the entrance.

"If you disobey me, that's directly disobeying Master Splinter," Leo pointed out as a last ditch effort to get his point across. "He's the one that put me in charge, and unless you want to face him, I suggest you listen for once."

Immediately, he stopped in his tracks. Of course Leo would go tattle on him, just like he did when they were kids. If he did, it would put Mikey in a serious bind. He really wanted some fresh air, but he really didn't want to explain himself to their sensei. Also, he didn't trust himself to keep his secrets close if he were to be confronted by their father.

"Fine…"

Slumping his shoulders, he turned around and headed towards Donnie's room. The other day, he had asked if he could sleep in his own bed for once, and his brothers were happy to oblige. Only, it was a sad fact that Donnie had to _ask_ to stay in his own room.

As he crept closer to the door, he noticed it was open just a crack. Voices seeped out into the hall, soft and tender. April's voice was hushed, but he could still recognize it. She came to visit Donnie as often as she could, only, Mikey hadn't seen much of her lately...well not much in the last couple of months to say the least.

 _Maybe this isn't a good-_

"Come on in, the door is open!" Donnie's voice called from inside the room.

 _Too late now…_

Pushing open the door, he poked his head in and saw Donnie sitting in his wheelchair by the desk with April's hands resting on his cast. There was a rosey hue to his cheeks, but he decided it was better to not mention it. In the end, _he_ was the one out of place.

But as his eyes wandered over to April, he felt his gut tighten as her blue eyes fixed onto him. Her jaw hung open slightly, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Almost instinctively, he squirmed within his shell from the stiffness of it all.

 _Why is she looking at me like that? What did I do wrong?_

Suddenly, the most graphic scenes from the fight played in his mind, painfully reminding him. After all, he had done _everything_ wrong...well, not _entirely_ everything...April didn't know that at least.

So why was she staring at him, her face completely pale?

"Oh... Hey, Mikey. You want me to leave you guys alone?" She rose from her seat.

"No, it's okay. I just wanted to check in on Donnie. Didn't mean to interrupt."

"April is signing my cast," Donnie said with a little grin. "I can't believe that you haven't asked to do that yet. Even Leo asked to write me a message."

Mikey looked down at the casts on his brother's legs. The surface of the right leg was littered by messages, scrawled in Sharpie, while the left leg had an intricate marker drawing of the four of them looking over the city, silhouetted by a full moon. He couldn't believe that Raph had drawn something so complex on such an awkward surface.

He pulled up a chair and sat down next to his brother, across from where April was sitting. He looked down at the scratched messages and signatures and began reading them thoughtfully.

'Stay strong, Donnie! You've beaten a lot worse than this, and you'll be back on patrol and training with us before you know it! - Leo'

'Wazzup D! You better keep this cast because this name's gonna be famous someday. Get well soon! - Casey'

'Hey Donnie! Can't wait to have you back, man. It's kinda boring not having you around to ramble about your nerd stuff. Keep getting better! - Raph'

'Donatello, I am pleased that you are recovering so well and I am confident that you will be walking with us again very soon. - Master Splinter'

'Hey Donnie! You're doing great! You've been so brave and I'm so proud of you! - April'

Mikey couldn't believe that he hadn't seen those messages before, and worse, he hadn't offered to contribute well wishes of his own before now.

"Sorry, D. I guess I've had a lot on my mind lately. Can I sign it too?"

"Sure. Master Splinter said that I only have to wear them for a few more days, but I'm keeping these on my keepsake shelf anyway."

Mikey took the Sharpie that April held out to him in his fingers and stared at the white grainy surface of the cast. What should he say? 'Sorry I put you in these casts?'

Finally, he set the tip of the marker against the surface and started to write.

'You'll be-' he paused for a moment. A frown settled on his face. Honestly, he really didn't know what to write, and he had to fight the urge to scribble out the initial words. Every idea that came to mind was lame, stupid even. Finally, he sighed and continued to write "- up and working on your inventions in no time! Get well soon, D'

Mikey scrunched his brows together at the message, but it would suffice. Either way, Donnie seemed pretty happy with it, since his reddish-brown eyes lit up. Actually, he couldn't remember the last time he saw Donnie genuinely smile-it was mostly pained faces.

Then again, what would Donnie smile about? Mikey's eyes gazed back towards the many gnarly scars trailing down his skin. It was _his_ fault to begin with, despite the fact-

A spray of crimson flashed before his eyes, and the crunching of bone echoed in his ears. He had done the right thing. He knew he had. It was never his fault; it was theirs. They were the ones that did this to his brother, and now, one of them was out of the way.

Bebop won't ever be coming after Donnie again. Mikey had made sure of that.

But then...why did he feel a hurricane of turmoil wreaking havoc within his mind? All day, he couldn't get it out of his head. He kept debating, pushing it aside, and tossing around. No matter what, it just kept clinging to him like a heavy weight around his neck.

Suddenly, a soft hand rested on his shoulder, nearly causing him to jump out his shell. His blue eyes flashed angrily with malice momentarily. April flinched at the sight, but then recomposed her face.

"Mikey, are you alright? You haven't said anything in a few minutes…"

He could feel her questioning gaze drilling him, trying to break into his mind-his soul, even. No, he wouldn't let her in. Not now, and definitely not ever. He got enough of that from Leo. But then, softening his expression, he threw on a fake smile.

"I'm fine." He glanced back over at Donnie. "I'm glad you're feeling better, bro. I'm gonna go now...leave you two alone," he mumbled off as he gathered himself to his feet.

"Mikey-"

Both of their voices called out to him, but he pretended not to hear them. Honestly, he couldn't show either of him his expression]. He couldn't reveal his heavy, pained heart. His heart that refused to completely harden-no matter how hard he had tried.

Perhaps he was full of himself...

Who was he kidding? He had taken out one of the monsters that threatened his family. A monster that nearly got his brother killed.

Maybe _he_ was the monster now, and in reality, he knew that he needed to be to take out the other two. But, Donnie mustn't ever see. After all, he had suffered enough.

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **BelatedBeliever: Hey everyone! Thank you all for reading and following our progress! We've been on a crazy emotional roller coaster ride while writing the last few chapters, and we hope that you have enjoyed it as much as we have. Faith and I are really excited for the next few chapters and all of the twists and turns in store!**

 **FaithfulWhispers: Oh man, thanks everyone! Holy shell, thank you for all the support. We're jumping for joy for reaching 100 reviews. We really do appreciate all the feedback we've received and we're so thankful for the support. This chapter was fun to write, and we hope y'all have been enjoying this emotional rollercoaster just much as we have. Thanks again! *Huggles Believer***


	13. Chapter 13

The heat remained steady in his face, his blood pumping heavily in his veins. His arms trembled, but he wouldn't rest. In fact, the last thing he needed was rest. Mikey hadn't been out of the lair in _days_ , because Leo wouldn't allow it. And so, his brother kept a close eye on him, guarding him.

Honestly, it made Mikey more determined the more he thought about it. Even with tired, shaking arms, he continued to press himself. He lowered himself down until his snout hovered almost an inch above his bedroom floor. He had gotten so sick of Raph and Leo staring at him, he'd decided to do his strength training in the privacy of his room. It seemed to be the only place left that afforded him any peace.

Though, he desperately wanted fresh air. The atmosphere within the lair was suffocating and thick with tension. Just the other day, Donnie had had his casts removed, but he still had a long way to go. Sensei said that he would need physical therapy, since his muscles had atrophied from being bound for so long.

Mikey would have helped him, but once again, his brothers had pushed him aside. He could see the doubt, concern, and the familiar look of untrusting in their eyes. Was it because of the way he had kicked their shells during training? Honestly, he didn't know nor did he care. There was only the goal he needed to achieve.

Just fifty more, then he would move on…

 _We'll kill all you freaks._

As the warthog's voice drifted into his head, he grimaced and nearly collapsed. He couldn't keep his focus on his training with Bebop's voice echoing in his ears. It was one of the last things that he had said before Mikey had killed him.

Before he'd murdered him.

 _Stop it,_ he scolded himself. _You did what you had to do. Now suck it up and focus, numbskull!_

He pushed his body away from the floor, his muscles burning in a way that was now more comforting than painful. The burn affirmed that he was getting stronger. That he was getting better. That no one would snub their noses at him again.

His lips stretched into a smirk as he lowered himself again. Soon, he'll be strong enough to take on Rocksteady. Though how he would do it, he was still deciding. He couldn't just rush him like he did with Bebop, and there was no way he would go down as swiftly either.

 _His skull... Oh man, it broke so easily…_

Mikey shut his eyes as he tried to push the thought out, setting aside heavy sensations that coursed within him. After all, he had to keep his head in the game. If he allowed his conscience to dictate his actions, he would fail in bringing the mutants down. So that they wouldn't hurt anyone else. So that his family would be safe. He had to keep reminding himself that it was all for them.

Then there was a sudden pounding on his door and Mikey grimaced with annoyance. Wasn't the fact that his door was closed enough notice that he didn't want to be disturbed? Seriously, what was wrong with these guys?

"Mikey?"

 _Great, it's Leo…_ Peeved, Mikey settled himself to his knees. He didn't want to answer him, but another series of knocking followed.

"What, Leo?" he groaned out.

The door then slowly creaked inwards, then Leo's head came into view. He looked around the room, squinting as he allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Mikey closed his eyes and tried to force the negativity from his mind, but his brother's presence clouded his thoughts, causing him to grit his teeth in exasperation.

"Are you alright in here?"

"Yeah…Well, I _was_ 'til you disturbed me…" Mikey grumbled through his clenched jaw.

Leo frowned as he watched Mikey settle back into his hands and begin his regimen of push ups like before, this time, with one hand tucked behind his shell.

"Umm… Don't you want to come see Donnie? He was asking about you earlier," Leo pressed, nearly pleading.

"I'll see him later. I'm busy…"

He finished his set and switched arms before running through it all again. Leo's shadow fell over him as he stepped into the room.

"Bro, you've done nothing but work out and train for the past month! You could use a-"

"I said I'm busy. Okay? I'm fine, I just need to be left alone!" Mikey snapped, glaring at him from over his shoulder.

"Mikey, I-"

"Leo! Get your butt out here!"

Leo looked indecisively over his shoulder toward the sound of Raph's voice. They must be starting Donnie's physical therapy and Sensei had expressly wanted him to be there for it. There wasn't any more that he could do here. If the little brat wanted to be difficult, then fine.

The door closed behind him, and Mikey breathed a sigh of conflicted relief. Now that he was alone again, he could think about what he needed to do next. He'd started down this path, so he'd better follow through.

News about Bebop had already spread through the city's underground like a wildfire. It was only a matter of time before Rocksteady and Rahzar heard about it as well and disappeared into the woodwork. He needed to cut them off, or else, draw them out.

But how?

Would he fall for the texting trick like Bebop had?

Honestly, Mikey had no clue. Rocksteady did seem a bit brighter, or at least more cautious, than Bebop had...Then again, maybe he was fooling himself. But there was still the undeniable fact that Rhino-man was strong. A heck of alot stronger than Raph, and Mikey wasn't sure if he even had the strength to withstand him.

Should he wait?

The very idea of waiting lit a small fire of indignant ire within him. No, he wouldn't wait around for this. He needed to come up with an idea, and for once, he couldn't rely on just brute strength and crazy moves. Strategic tactics would be the wisest thing for that fight. After all, Rocksteady did have it coming to him.

But in the end, he would _have_ _to_ wait to carry this out. He needed to be in a position where he could bait Rocksteady into the open. If his family found out his plans, they'd find a way to stop him, and that was unacceptable.

Mikey let out a sigh of annoyance and shook his head. Maybe he should just go out and see Donnie. He needed to keep up appearances, after all, and maybe an opportunity for him to slip out unnoticed would present itself. There was no way that they could keep an eye on him all the time.

Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, wincing at the twinge of pain from his overworked muscles. He'd been pushing himself hard the past few days and he wondered vaguely if he might be taking it too far. What if Leo was right and he was working himself into the ground?

 _No… he's just trying to hold me back._

Nevertheless, his movements were still stiff as he walked to his bedroom door. As Mikey stepped into the hallway, his eyes stung and he squinted against the bright light. How long had he been sitting in the dark? Too long, he supposed, based on how long it took his eyes to adjust. Maybe next time, he'd turn on a lamp or something.

Shrugging it off, he made his way down the hall and stared out into the open space. Nobody was in the pit, which puzzled him slightly. They were supposed to start Donnie's therapy soon, so where was everybody? Then, he heard voices coming from the dojo. _Of course._ He felt like an idiot as he hobbled around the walkway toward the dojo. It would make sense for them to want to move Donnie somewhere there was a lot of room.

Mikey stopped dead in tracks, staring through the open doorway. Donnie leaned heavily against Leo as the walked across the dojo. His face was a mask of pain and beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. His arms and legs were so thin compared to Leo's that it didn't look like they should be holding his weight. And sure enough, they weren't. Donnie's right leg buckled and he gasped loudly as his brother righted him.

"Come on, Donnie. I know you can do it," Leo murmured as he held onto him tight, setting him firmly on his feet again.

"Ngh-," Donnie grunted as he tried to take another step. "Leo, I-I..."

This time, both knees failed him and he sagged to the mat, clinging to Leo for dear life.

"Ow-ow-ow!"

"Don't push yourself too hard, Donatello. We do not want to cause more injury." Splinter instructed gently as he assisted Leo in helping the weakened turtle to his feet. "Raphael, hold his other side to help even out his weight."

Mikey watched, his gut churning. He hadn't realized how hard it would be. How painful it would be. All because of his-

No, it wasn't his fault. He had to keep reminding himself of that.

As Donnie wobbled between Raph and Leo, Mikey wanted to rush in there in help...but, he found both feet planted firmly to the ground. He just couldn't bring himself to move. After all, he was an outsider that would only make things worse.

He would screw up and hurt him, since his brother was so fragile.

Each time Raph and Leo lifted Donnie up, he could see his face twist with agony. He trembled, and panted with the exertion. Mikey was sure he probably wanted to quit, but knowing Donnie, he was going to give it his all.

It broke his heart, and yet, he still couldn't move. At that moment, he was an outsider looking in...a bystander who was useless. Even though he knew it wasn't his fault, he still felt like he had a hand in it. His dumbass self had triggered this, and there's no way Mikey could ever convince himself otherwise.

Then as Donnie stumbled on his feet, collapsing right onto Raph, Mikey felt the air catch in his lungs.

"Alright, we don't want to push him too hard. Let's set him down and do some light stretching exercises instead." Leo suggested, and together, he and Raph lowered Donnie to the floor. He was grey and clammy from the exertion, and Mikey noticed how he was grinding his teeth together.

He couldn't bear the sight any longer, and so, he twisted away. While he still had the chance, he was going to make a break for it. He just needed to get out-to get away. A rush of adrenaline went through him, fueling his haste. His muscles loosened, and pushed aside the pain. Nothing was going to keep him from leaving, not even his own body. So within seconds, he was over the turnstiles and in the subway tunnel.

No one followed him, and he breathed a sigh of relief, because he wasn't sure that he could outrun them with how sore his muscles were. He pumped his legs harder, working though the acute pain, and didn't stop until he reached the first ladder that lead to the surface.

 _Finally._

He needed to escape the confining walls of the sewers and see the open sky. If only for a few hours.

* * *

His feet pounded against the cold, stone ground. He felt a rush of excitement with each breath he took. The cool air brushed against his skin, and he finally felt free. Felt relaxed and at ease. No Leo or Raph constantly on his back.

Just him and the sounds of the bustling city.

His mind was buzzing with a thousand thoughts as he snaked through several back alleys. Rocksteady and Rahzar were out here somewhere… Mikey was sure of that. They were going to get what was coming to them, and never again would they hurt Donnie or anyone else. Finally, he stopped to catch his breath and rest his tired muscles. Perhaps a recovery day was in order. It would keep him from-

"Well, well, well...," a thinly accented voice uttered from the shadows. _Crap._ His mind had been so focused elsewhere that he hadn't sensed someone following behind. Slowly, he turned around and narrowed his eyes.

Hun stepped out from the shadows, grinning smugly. On either side of him were two large thugs, decorated with the signature Purple Dragon tattoos. Each of them held a handgun that shone with a steely gleam under the faint moonlight.

Mikey didn't have time for this. He took a step backwards to retreat, but froze when he saw that five more Dragons were blocking his way. Ten against one. Not the best odds, especially in his current worn out state. He backed up a few steps as the burly men advanced on him slowly.

"I don't think so, little turtle," Hun said cooly. "I have not forgotten your direct insult... And I want my phone back."

Mikey looked around at the group of goons, silently challenging them to make a move. He knew he outclassed these gorillas in almost every way. He just didn't own a gun.

One of the goons fired off a round and Mikey sprung out of range. The bullet punched the largest one in the chest and he collapsed like felled tree to the alley, blood oozing from the wound. Hun hissed in annoyance and swung his hand out to call for ceasefire.

"Be careful, you fools! Do you _want_ to be baited into killing one another? Surround him and put him down!"

The other eight goons nodded and tightened their circle around Mikey. He looked around the group and curled his lip in a sneer. Eight Purple Dragons? He might as well have been trying to fight eight yapping lapdogs. They were about as threatening.

The thugs were a lot more hesitant in firing their weapons, and they seemed to be indecisive as to how to take on the turtle. Finally, one of them charged forward, holding his gun by the barrel as if he were planning to use it as a club. Mikey was ready for him and ducked under the man's swinging arm. He punched the guy in the stomach before sweeping his feet out from under him. A sudden blow of the side of his head made stars appear behind his eyes. He spun around and blocked another incoming strike from the guy who'd blindsided him before punching him in the nose, sending him sprawling.

Emboldened by their friend's successful hit, the rest of them started to close in. A shot rang out and Mikey rolled to the side to avoid it. The bullet grazed his leg and he cried out in pain. Dammit... He'd been moving too slow. _What a stupid mistake!_

Now, he was bleeding and moving at about half speed. This was really not good. He needed to get out of there.

He bolted for the smallest of the remaining gang members and slugged him across the mouth to make a way of escape. His knuckles scraped against the goon's teeth, splitting the skin and it stung like hell. He growled as he planted a left hook into the man's jaw and sent him sprawling to the pavement, limp as a rag doll.

Strong arms caught his arms and pinned him in a full nelson. Mikey struggled against the grip and tried to free himself, but the man had muscles the size of watermelons. It was going to take a lot of get loose.

"Let me go, or I'll..."

"You'll what? Kill me? Like you and your brothers killed Zeck?" Hun scoffed as he lazily drew his own weapon and checked the magazine.

Mikey's blood froze. He knew it was _him_? He hadn't left any clue that he had killed Bebop, so how had he known?

"But... How...?"

"Come now, it was hardly a mystery. You stole my phone from me, asking a lot of questions about the mutants. But you could hardly come up with a plan this smart on your own. You had to have had help. So all of you must have been behind it."

Heat rushed through his veins, and his eyes flashed with malice. Even after everything he had done and everything he had accomplished, no one thought that he was smart enough to outsmart them. Again and again he had been ridiculed, but no more. He gave into his anger, letting it take control.

His hands joined together, and with his reflexes kicking in, he shifted to the side. As the weight became unbalanced, he tucked his leg behind the goon and moved, grappling him. The brute's weight was thrown off, and Mikey slammed him to the ground, breaking free of the hold.

A fire lit within him. When he is focused and determined, he could undermine even the strongest holds. As his rage took over, he whipped around and began to pound his captor's face in with his fist.

Two of the other goons tried to subdue him, but he was on autopilot; acting on instinct. His nunchakus were in his hands in an instant, and he broke the nose of one with a well placed strike. As the man stumbled away, holding his bleeding nose, Mikey leveled the other with a blow to the temple.

Eyes wide, Hun tried to retreat, but there was no way that he was going to let the fool get away. Unfurling his kusarigama, he threw the chain and caught the man by the ankle. A swift jerk on the chain sent him to the ground with a cry of dismay.

"Oh, no you don't," he muttered as he started to drag the gang leader back toward him. Hun tried to untangle himself from the chain, but to no avail.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted one of the goons, the lower half of his face covered in blood, advancing on him. Rookie mistake. He flipped up, kicking the man in the chin before landing directly behind Hun.

"If you want your boss to live, the rest of you are gonna take a hike!" He held the blade of his kusarigama directly under Hun's chin, the sharp edge barely grazing his throat.

"Don't listen to him, you fools! Shoot him!"

"You don't believe me? Just twitch and see what happens!" He brought the blade closer to the exposed skin, the edge slicing the first layer of skin under his Adam's apple.

The five men glanced uncertainly between themselves before the one in front holstered his gun.

"What are you doing!?" Hun shrieked in dismay. Mikey smirked darkly the henchmen's acquiescence.

"Now the rest of you! Drop your guns!"

The other four men reluctantly put their guns away. They'd rather admit defeat than lose their leader, just as Mikey had predicted. Without Hun, they were like headless chickens.

"Now get out of here! Hun and I have some business to discuss!"

They didn't move until Mikey pressed the blade further into Hun's neck. Then one by one, they left, looking as lost as sheep without anyone to guide them.

As soon as the last of them had vanished into the night, he dropped the chain and pushed Hun to the pavement. He didn't give him any time to recover before he straddled the man and venting all of his outrage onto him.

The exhilaration was sending mass amounts of adrenaline coursing through his veins, sharpening his senses and heightening his awareness. He felt like he was watching it all in slow motion. How dare he try to ambush him? Didn't he know who he was dealing with?

He grabbed the sides of the man's head and was about to snap his neck when his conscious stopped him cold. This wasn't the way. He didn't have any score to settle with Hun. There wasn't any reason to kill him.

Except that he _wanted_ to.

The realization hit him like a physical blow and he stumbled back. No. There was no way he could be so cold as to actually want to kill someone.

 _But, I've already killed someone._

He stared in horror at Hun's battered body, splayed out on the pavement. Part of him urged him to finish the scumbag; to silence one more voice of malice against his brothers, but a stronger voice compelled him to stay his hand. Shakily, he took a step back, slipping his nunchakus into their holsters.

"C-Coward…," Hun coughed hoarsely as he struggled to rise, only managing about an inch.

The word stung him, beckoning him to let his hand go. He just had to, but no, he couldn't. This wasn't right. _Think! Think, dummy. Don't do this._ It took all his self will, but he wouldn't give in. He knew there was a better choice, he just needed to calm down.

No, he just had to be smart about this. After all, he could _use_ Hun…

Yes, he would know where to find the Rhino-man.

Without much effort, he relaxed his arm and walked over to Hun. He watched as blood oozed from the jagged cuts in face, and giant black welts began to form under his skin. Then with a fluid motion, he thrust his arm forward and clutched onto his bloodied shirt.

"I'm not a coward! But I do need one last thing from you," he growled out, his eyes flashing with malice. Hun tried to push himself up, but his strength only allowed him to rise a few inches.

"What could I possibly give you, turtle?"

"I want information on Rocks-Steranko."

"Oh, my phone didn't have enough for you?" The man retorted sarcastically.

"It had some, but I could use a bit more...Tell me, where is he hidin'?"

If Mikey could find his location, then he could use it to lure out Rocksteady. To be honest, getting jumped by Hun was a gift from above, and he'd wished he'd thought about interrogating him for answers before.

However, his bloodlust begged him in the background. It pleaded for him to give into his urges and just end this man's pathetic life.

 _No, I'm stronger than that!_

He remained still, refusing to show Hun any sign of weakness. And so, he stood there, holding onto him while he tuned into the sounds of his agonized breathing. It drew out, scratchy and pitiful.

"I'm not going to ask again! Where. Is. He?"

Hun opened his mouth, and coughed up more blood. His stomach convulsed as he struggled to clear his chest. Mikey really did a number on him, but he could do a whole lot more if he didn't start talking. He backhanded the man to let him know that he was serious.

But finally, his voice broke through the hacks.

"He's hiding out… at the pier… Warehouse 89... "

Mikey released him, allowing him to crash to ground. He grunted in pain, before pressing himself up by his palms. Hun's darkened eyes looked at him with hatred, as if threatening him. But he just stood there, meeting his gaze. After all, he posed no threat to him now.

Hun looked at him as if he did, though. The corners of his lips tugged upwards as he sneered, "Bad move. I'm going to kill you and your freakish family."

With narrowed eyes, he drew his lips to a disgusted curl.

"Come after us, and I'll make sure you're dead. I let you off easy, don't forget that."

He turned away, the hot blood in his ears finally slowing its cadence closer to his normal rhythm

"Remember that, Hun. I will kill you if it means _protecting_ my family," he sneered over his shoulder.

With that, Mikey left him, surrounded by the bodies of his henchmen. He didn't even look back, and he felt the adrenaline fade from his system.

As he made his way through the back streets, a burning sensation from the graze on his leg spread through his muscles. However, it distracted him from the memory of the dead Purple Dragons and Hun's mangled face. He needed to get home and get his wounds dressed.

After all, he couldn't take on Rocksteady in this condition. No, he would be screwed if he even tried.

And then as he worked past the pain, he made his way to the manhole cover where he'd come from. The night air was cool against his skin, but he couldn't bring himself to enjoy it. Even though he had wanted some fresh air, the price for it wasn't worth it.

Now his plans would have to be put on hold until the wound heals, and Mikey wanted to kick himself for it. Once again, he'd made a stupid move. How many more mistakes will pile up? He thought he would've been past it by now…

Mikey reached the entrance to the sewers and gazed down into the darkened hole. Conflicting feelings swelled; he didn't want to go home, but he didn't want to stay out in the open either.

"Quit being a baby and just get it over with," he whispered under his breath.

Then bracing himself, he inhaled and jumped inside.

* * *

It was almost three in the morning when Mikey limped back to the lair.

"Where the hell have you…" He stopped short when he saw the cut on Mikey's leg. "Holy shit, what happened, Mikey?"

"Nothing. Just go away, Raph."

"Did you get _shot_?!" Raph asked incredulously, ignoring Mikey.

"No! If you need to know, I fell. It's not a big deal. Now please _leave._ me. alone!," he snapped back.

Raph glared at him, then stomped his feet against the ground. His muscles were clenched, and Mikey could see the fire in his eyes. His heart began to pound as anger boiled below the surface. He wasn't in the best shape for a brawl, but he put his fists up anyways.

However, his brother stepped into his personal space and knocked his hands down. Then the next thing Mikey knew, Raph wrapped his arms around him, lifting the weight off his leg.

"I don't know what your fucking deal is, but we need to clean that," Raph growled as he began to step forward, pulling him along.

Mikey's anger finally spilled over, and he used the strength he had left to shove Raph off him. "Don't treat me like little kid! I got this. Now, back off."

Instead of an outlash, Raph's face fell. The emotional turmoil faded, replaced by solemn, hurt expression. He stepped back and scanned Mikey with his eyes. His brother was a different person now, and looked completely different from that happy kid he knew.

No, this was a miniature version of himself...Only, a lot angrier.

A twinge of regret hit him when he recalled the way he'd punched Mikey in the face that night. The way he tried to trample him and beat the shit out of him. All the words and harshness was being reflected back onto him. Even then, he was just as bad of a jerk that he'd always been. And now, it reflected back onto his little brother.

As Mikey's cold, blue eyes stared at him, waiting to see what he'd do, he inhaled. Nothing was going to come from pushing him, and he'd have to have a talk with Leo before things got too out of hand-if it hadn't already.

However, he stared right back into those abyssal eyes, trying to see something. Nothing. Nothing at all, but a wall of defensiveness. And so, Raph took another step back.

"Fine," he murmured.

Mikey relaxed his stance, and allowed himself to feel the radiating pain within his leg. He stood his ground and watched as Raph turned away, heading towards his room. Honestly, Mikey was surprised. He thought his brother was going to try and kick his ass, but in reality, he just pushed him farther away.

Something stirred in his conscience, and his lip began to tremble. But before he'd allow himself to feel it, he swallowed it down and glanced at his leg. Blood was oozing from the wound, and if he didn't clean it soon, he'd get an infection.

Adjusting his weight, he grimaced and hobbled off towards the bathroom. The lair was quiet, now that everyone was in bed. Mikey was grateful that no one else noticed he had been missing, or at least he assumed so.

He pushed open the door, and stumbled inside the stony, dark room. Immediately, he dug into the cabinet and pulled out disinfectant and bandages. He was hoping that he wouldn't need stitches, because if he did, he'd have to do it himself.

As he settled down onto the toilet, he got a look clear look at the wound. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had felt, and he was lucky for that. Then he proceeded to clean the wound. The alcohol burned and stung sharply, but he withstood it.

 _This is nothing._

Once he cleaned and patched himself up, he put the unused supplies away and glanced back at the mirror. His face looked so hardened, so worn. Now he saw why everyone looked at him the way they did.

He wasn't that chubby, happy-go-lucky turtle anymore.

And to be honest, he liked that fact…

Mikey gave his reflection a small smirk before turning away. He needed to head to bed, and then think of an excuse for his leg to his father and Leo. There would definitely be questions in the morning.

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **FaithfulWhispers:** Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter. Things are tying together and loose ends are getting cut. As I work with Believer, I've learned quite a bit. It really has been a blast writing this. Sorry about the delay in updates. We both have real life stuff as well as our own fics. But again, thanks for all the support. We appreciate it!

 **BelatedBeliever:** Yeah… real life has been pretty awful to us when it comes to working on fics, but here it is and, as Faith said, we hope that you enjoyed it! Thank you all again for sticking with us and for supporting us as we work through bringing you updates! We will see you with the next chapter very soon!


	14. Chapter 14

The sounds of persistent knocking rudely jarred Mikey out of his deep sleep the next morning. His head was pounding with the ferocity of a marching band and the graze on his leg felt like it was on fire. He tried to turn over and go back to sleep, but his body felt tense and tight from his strenuous workout from the day before. The knocking continued unabated, making the possibility of sleep completely impossible.

"What?" he moaned loudly, blatant irritation tinging his voice.

"It's me and Donnie. Open up!" Raph's voice boomed from behind the door.

He debated on ignoring them, so that he could at least rest his aching limbs for a few more minutes. Donnie might not even be there at all; but then his brother's voice, slightly muffled through the door, came to him.

"Mikey?"

Mikey immediately abandoned the idea of leaving them out there when he heard those two worried syllables. Slowly, he dragged himself out of the bed, limped to the door, and pulled it open abruptly. Donnie studied him from his chair, and Raph stood behind him, the sharp edge of malice completely absent from his face. All that was there now was concern, which was unusual, to say the least.

Then Mikey's stomach churned as his gaze drifted from Raph to Donnie, and the expression he gave him was clawed at his nerves. Donnie was now searching him with the same probing gaze that Leo and Raph had given him before, only there was a solemn remorsefulness to it as well.

Why was he looking at him like that?

Mikey tore his eyes away and choked back the dark feelings of guilt and resentment. _Keep it together, Mikey_ , he scolded himself, feeling bitter about his weakness. Releasing a sigh, he stepped back and opened the door up even more, letting faint light seep in from the hallway. His eyes hurt, and it prompted a persistent throbbing in the back of his skull.

"What is it now?" Mikey groaned as he rubbed his temples, his voice straining with annoyance.

Raph narrowed his eyes back at him, his frown still stern. As he leaned his weight on his left foot, he folded his arms over his plastron.

"Don't give me that, Mikey." He rolled his eyes. "Look, Donnie wanted to see you before he starts another session-" His explanation was interrupted unexpectedly by Donnie, making both brothers glance down at him in surprise.

"You keep blowing me off, and I'm tired of it," he mumbled through a clenched jaw as he struggled to hide the pain.

Suddenly, at Donnie's words, it felt as if a knife stabbed him right in his gut. Had he really been blowing off Donnie that much? He had helped him with feeding him and giving him his medicine ...wait, that was awhile back, now that he really thought about it.

Guilt overwhelmed him, causing an inability to look his brother in the eyes. Instead, he merely stepped back and turned on his lamp. He winced at the bright light. Then wordlessly, he turned his shell to them and walked to his bed, his hand beckoning them over his shoulder.

The squeaking of Donnie's wheelchair echoed off the walls of the small space, causing Mikey's heart to pick up speed. He slumped down onto his bed, the creaking of the chair still persistent in his ears, resonating with the pumping of his blood. His head hung low as he struggled against the ache in his skull, which was amplified by all noise. Then as he shifted his weight, a searing sensation ignited from the wound in his leg, and he bit down on his tongue to hold back the groan in his throat.

Finally, he saw Donnie's feet in front of him. He sat still for a moment, hesitant to make even the slightest movement. He really wanted them to leave him alone so that he could nurse his physical pain. However he needed to get this over with, so that he could go about his day, but he couldn't do that with their presence. So he mustered up the best smile he could with the corners of his lips trembling. Then he lifted his head and looked straight at Donnie's shocked expression.

 _Why is he looking at me like that? Is he… disappointed? That's what it looks like..._

Donnie opened his mouth, as if to say something, then clamped it back shut. He did this four times before he inhaled deeply, then his lips formed words.

"What's been happening to you, Mikey? You look different... And not in a good way."

Mikey felt the familiar defensiveness rising in him. What business did he have judging him?

"I'm fine, Donnie. Just been tired. Training real hard, ya' know?"

Donnie frowned, obviously not convinced.

"No. That's not it. You look...," he shook his head as he searched for the words. "Angry."

He wanted to unload on him all of the negative feelings he'd had when Donnie was in the coma. The guilt, the rage, the depression... They were all still there, festering in his soul like an infected wound, but he didn't want to fix what those feelings were doing to him. He needed the drive to accomplish his vengeance. He needed the anger like he needed air to breathe. Pressing it back, he focused on making his disarming smile more believable, though he felt like it was laughably insufficient.

"You got it all wrong, bro. I'm just tired, like I said."

A few weeks before, Donnie might have accepted Mikey's denials. His reliance on the painkillers had made him pliable and suggestable, but now his eyes were clear. Mikey knew that it was not going to be that easy to fool him now.

"Then what's going on?" Donnie demanded, finally losing his temper. "You keep avoiding me, you treat the guys like dirt, and you sneak out at night, then come back with freaking _bullet wounds_! This isn't you!"

Mikey felt like he was being backed into a corner. Would Donnie understand why this was necessary? After all, he had felt the consequences of _his_ mistakes. The emotional pain that Mikey was going through was nothing compared to Donnie's physical anguish. The shame he felt lingered like a heavy stone upon his shell, and his need for penance was greater than his need to forgive himself.

He couldn't act like a baby, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let Raph and Donnie push him around either. Leo was already on his case enough. Mikey struggled to keep up his garishly happy facade, hopeful that sticking to his story and a somewhat cheerful smile might be enough to chase their doubts away.

"Donnie... Nothing's wrong, I promise. You're just overreacting."

Donnie drew himself up in his chair, indignation etched into his face. Raph leaned in to support him, but his brother merely shrugged him off. Then he glared at Mikey as he leaned forward, his limbs quivering with rage and exertion.

"Don't patronize me! I know you, and something is seriously wrong here!"

"Guys?"

All heads turned sharply as Leo looked through the door. He stared for a moment at the scene, feeling like he had intruded on something delicate, then turned his attention directly to Raph.

"Sensei's ready for Donnie, Raph."

Raph gave a nod of affirmation and maneuvered the chair back toward the door. Donnie gave Mikey an uncertain glance as he was wheeled him out of the room.

Leo stood where he was, his arms folded over his plastron and a frown plastered on his face. Mikey ignored the look and hoisted himself onto his feet. He staggered briefly, then caught his weight. Mikey's clumsiness didn't go unnoticed as Leo's frown only became more pressed.

"Mikey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"No," he replied shortly before trying to step around his brother. Leo didn't try to intercept him, but kept looking straight ahead.

"I didn't think you would. I should probably talk to Splinter about it instead. I think he'd be very interested in your little trip to the surface last night."

Mikey pulled up short at Leo's implied threat. He would be dead if their father found out he'd snuck out when he'd been ordered not to leave the lair. Gritting his teeth together, he turned back and got right in his older brother's face.

"What is it?" he growled dangerously. Leo didn't seem phased, he just met Mikey's animosity with a calm that irritated the younger turtle further. His breathing was slow, steady and his voice held a soft, yet authoritative, tone.

"Raph told me how you came in last night with a gunshot in your leg." He gestured toward his bandaged thigh. "And then I hear that Purple Dragons are out there looking for _you_. What were you thinking? You fought ten of those guys on your own?"

Mikey rolled his eyes in irritation. "The Purple Dragons are wimps. They cornered me, so there was nothin' else I could do." He shrugged, "Besides we've always taken care of them, no sweat."

"Yeah, but Casey said that Hun was beaten brutally. He's out for your blood now!" He threw his arms up, then pointed a finger at Mikey. "You know that Hun is a handful on his own; you should have called us to let us know you were in trouble."

 _Typical Leo. Always nagging when he gets the chance..._

Pushing the accusing finger away, Mikey narrowed his eyes and replied,"So what? I beat them; isn't that the important thing?"

Leo stared exasperated for almost a minute before giving in to his frustration with his recently headstrong little brother.

"You could have been _killed_! Mikey, we haven't been in action much since Donnie's accident, and we are in no shape to be starting fights on the surface. Especially with someone who's been going around killing mutants." He paused and inhaled deeply, softening his expression. "Look, I'm just worried about you."

Leo's lack of confidence in him only fueled the rage that swelled within his chest. His breathing became ragged, and the muscles in his arms began to quiver, itching for him to punch him in the face.

"I don't need your worry or your pity. Instead of bothering me, you should be worried about Donnie. _He's_ the one who can barely move on his own," Mikey seethed, keeping his clenched fist at bay.

"Then _you_ should come be there for him, instead of pushing him away. You heard him; you haven't really been there for him at all."

He hadn't meant to say the last part out loud, but once it was out there, he couldn't pull it back. Mikey, for the first time in a while, looked like he had been slapped. The initial shock faded as he recovered quickly, glaring daggers at Leo.

"And whose fault is that, huh, Leo? Tell me. 'Cause we both know you or Raph never wanted me involved with his therapy anyway. I know deep down you both still blame me for what happened, so don't start acting all self-righteous with me!" His voice rose at a rapid rate, becoming a bellowing shout. "Now, just get out of here and leave me alone! You go take care of him, since you're leader and all!"

The words stung Leo sharply like the flick of a white hot whip. There was truth behind Mikey's words. They had driven Mikey back, and now, his brother was set on keeping them at arm's length.

A whir of hurt emotions swirled within him and Leo stepped back, breaking eye contact. He lifted his hands up with the look of defeat in his eyes.

"If you want me to leave you alone, then fine, Michelangelo." his voice fell, barely a whisper. "But you're sure as hell acting like a spoiled brat. I hope that you come to your senses soon."

He watched as Leo turned his shell to him and shuffled out of his room, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Once his brother's footsteps were out of earshot, Mikey knelt down and tenderly pressed his fingers against the skin on his leg, just above the graze. There was dried blood caked beneath the bandages, and he knew from years of training and cleaning his own wounds, that he needed fresh bandages.

Grimacing, he looked back towards his bed. Donnie's concerned face was imprinted in his mind. He'd looked at him the way April had many times before. The way Leo once had, and the way Raph had looked at him the night they fought. So many different looks, all with the same pair of eyes.

Honestly, Mikey knew that he looked different. He could see it everytime he looked in the mirror. He felt more powerful, stronger, and confident than he'd ever had. Yes, he was angry, but he thrived off it. And soon enough, he'd be bulkier than Raph and maybe even more disciplined than Leo.

 _How was this a bad change, Donnie? None of you took me seriously until now..._

The question faded from his mind when he took a step on his injured leg. Pain continued to radiate through his leg, and he hadn't forgotten the headache he had either. He could think about all of that later, but for now, he needed to change the bandages on his leg. And so, he left his room, closing the door behind him.

He ignored the wound in his thigh the best he could as he made his way towards the bathroom. The lair wasn't quiet; there was shuffling and squeaking coming from the dojo, but he didn't stop or pay any mind to it. He just wanted to get his wound tended. Swinging open the bathroom door, he slammed it shut behind him, then limped to the cabinet and pulled out the supplies he needed.

Mikey sat down on the lip of the bathtub and gingerly peeled back the gauze wrappings, gritting his teeth against the sting of the air hitting the raw skin. The wound looked angry and swollen. He really hoped that it hadn't gotten infected. Grabbing the bottle of betadine, he swabbed a generous amount over his leg, relieved at the cold sensation that canceled out the intense stinging. He wrapped the new bandages snugly around the wound and tied it off.

As he stared down at the bandages, a twinge of anger aggravated his raw nerves. There was no way he could do any heavy training until the wound healed. And even though it wasn't a deep wound, it would still take some time. Going after Rocksteady now was out of the question, at least for the present, and now he was stuck down here.

 _At least I still have my arms...Maybe I'll use the dumbbells later…_

Sighing, Mikey slowly stood, keeping as much weight off of his injured leg as he could. He ignored the pain shooting up his thigh as he left the bathroom. As he shut the door behind him, he heard Donnie's agonized cry coming from the dojo.

"Leo, I can't!"

"Come on, Donnie. We need to stretch out your legs," Leo's coaxing voice echoed out into the open area.

"You don't understand! It really _hurts_!" Donnie complained petulantly.

"Yes, I do. Remember my leg, Donnie? It'll be okay."

"No! That was just _one_ leg. My whole fucking body feels like it's on fire!"

Mikey moved closer to the dojo, his footsteps uneven. Despite what he had said to Leo before, he wanted to see what was happening. As he reached the entrance to the dojo, he darted to the shadows and watched.

"Stand back and let me see," Splinter ordered as he feebly waved Leo and Raph aside. He knelt down next to Donnie, who was sitting in an awkward, painful position on the tatami mats. His hands hovered over his son's frail legs as he started murmuring, and there was an expression of acute grief upon Splinter face.

Donnie tried to scoot back, but his arm buckled and he nearly collapsed onto his shell.

"You keep saying that, Sensei! It's not helping!"

Splinter remained where he was, speaking the chants softly. Donnie wheezed as he tried to shift his weight on his own, and all the while, Mikey guilt returned and it hit him harder than ever. Leo had been right about neglecting Donnie, but he couldn't bring himself to go in and help. There was probably nothing he could do anyway.

Even Splinter was having a hard time, and Donnie's face was twisted as his father tried to soothe him. He stopped chanting, and tried to hold his son, but Donnie cried out in protest...There was so much pain and agony, that it made Mikey's wound seem like a mere scratch.

Splinter stood back and beckoned Leo and Raph to help him. His brothers didn't hesitate as they knelt by Donnie's side. He wanted to go in there, but his legs wouldn't budge.

 _If I go in there, I'll just screw up and cause him more suffering…_

But as Leo and Raph lifted Donnie up, bringing him to his chair, he could hear Donnie's muffled sobs within his throat. Without thinking, he rushed into the dojo and was met by the startled glances of his brothers.

"Michelangelo, pull the wheelchair close to them so that they can place him in it without further straining him," Splintered ordered tersely.

He gripped the chair with both hands and he steered it around. Then he wheeled it to them and held the chair steady as his brothers lowered Donnie into the seat. His heart pounded heavily, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it.

Mikey met Leo's eyes for a moment as he straightened, but quickly averted his gaze to an indeterminate spot on the floor. He let go of the chair and allowed Raph to take over. As he stepped back, his eyes focused on the tatami mats beneath his feet. The tension in the air was thick, but no one said a word to break it.

Moments passed, and Leo looked over Donnie carefully with Splinter right next to him. Mikey felt Splinter's eyes on him, with that same searching stare that seemed to always be on him. However, Splinter moved in close, and placed a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Boys, I need to have a private session with your brother today. I thought he would be ready for the stretching, but I was wrong."

"But Sensei-"

Splinter raised his hand, silencing Leo's protestation. His whiskers twitched, then his face became stern.

"Leonardo, _you_ should understand this more than anyone. Now, I need some time alone with Donatello. I will call if I need your assistance."

It felt as if a weight had been lifted off of Mikey's shoulders and the pressure within his chest had been released. He didn't have to be told twice, so he made his way out before Raph or Leo could say a word to him. He rushed into his room, slamming the door behind him and cutting off any possibility of another confrontation.

Leo and Raph turned back towards their sensei and bowed respectfully to him. Each of them gave Donnie one final look and a few words of encouragement before leaving the dojo. Neither one of them said a word to each other, each lost in his own thoughts. Leo stepped listlessly down into the pit and glanced vaguely at the remote. He considered turning on a program to distract him from all the issues, but decided against it. The conversation he had with Mikey still played within the back of his mind and television was the last thing he needed.

He sat heavily on the couch and covered his face with both hands. He suddenly felt a splitting headache coming on and all of the stress from dealing with Donnie and Mikey was getting to him. This was getting ridiculous… Mikey was being ridiculous. They needed him, and he insisted on being… Whatever he was being. They had apologized and reached out to him, but he wouldn't have any of it. Tenaciously, Mikey was clinging to his rage, and for all of his efforts, Leo felt like he was just pushing his little brother further back.

The cushions shifted as someone sat down next to him. He lifted his head to see Raph sitting next to him, his face grim and unhappy.

"You get anything out of him?"

Leo shook his head morosely in response to Raph's sullen question.

"Nothing. He's really freaking me out. He's acting like..."

"Like me," Raph finished grimly. Leo glanced cautiously at his brother, expecting him to be offended by the observation. However, he just appeared as unsettled as Leo himself was.

"Did we fuck this up?" Raph asked, not meeting Leo's gaze.

"With Mikey?"

"No, with the President... Yes, with Mikey!" He retorted impatiently.

There was a long pause. Leo rubbed his face, then lifted his eyes and gave Raph a solemn look.

"Yeah... We seriously messed up this time."

Raph crossed his arms and glowered at the floor between his feet. The whole thing was scaring the shit out of him. He should be the irrational, angry one, not Mikey. He should be the little goofball that was trying to get Donnie to smile, even if he was hurting so bad that he didn't want to get up. He should be making the atmosphere lighter in the lair, cutting the tension so that they weren't all going insane.

Instead, Mikey had become dark, withdrawn, and fucking scary. He was actually sneaking out at night and picking fights with gangsters and God knew who else. This wasn't normal, and Raph had no idea how to get the old Mikey back. From the look on Leo's face, he guessed that he was at a loss as well.

"What are we gonna do, Leo? I've never seen Mikey so screwed up. I mean, he won't even talk to us, man. Well, unless he's screamin' at us to leave him alone. The only one who can get anywhere with him is Donnie."

"Donnie has enough on his plate right now. We can't bring him into this...," Leo said, shaking his head. "We need to handle this ourselves, since we're the ones that hurt him."

"Well, how do we do that? That numbskull gained quite a temper, if you hadn't noticed."

Leo stared at Mikey's closed door, rubbing his chin in contemplation. There had to be something that they could do to pull him out of the dark place he was in… Then as he stared into space, pondering on the question, something in his head clicked.

 _If Mikey wants to be left alone, then why not let him? After all, he just doesn't want us to "bother him"..._

He smirked and leaned into Raph, his eyes lighting up with hope.

"I've got an idea."

* * *

Half an hour passed and Mikey crept out of his room. He had felt cooped up in there and didn't like the idea of sitting around on his shell doing nothing. Although he had forgotten about the pain in his thigh when he'd rushed into the dojo earlier, but as he walked towards the steps from the bedrooms, he felt a sharp pang with every step. He bit down on his lip, and squeezed his hands into tight fists. No, this pain was nothing, he had to keep reminding himself. He wouldn't allow himself to be weak.

This was a minor setback and there was always room for improvement. The faint sound of Raph and Leo's murmuring drifted up from the pit and Mikey ceased his movement. He really didn't want to face them again. Once in a day was more than enough. Not only that, but Donnie's words were still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't be sure if he was still in the dojo with Master Splinter.

Now he was really in a bind. For once, he didn't want to talk to anyone. He just wanted to be left alone, but everyone else was intent on trying to get into his space. And he couldn't bear to have another conversation with Donnie after what had happened this morning.

 _He'd only give me that look again,_ he thought sullenly.

The thought of grabbing the dumbbells didn't seem appealing anymore. In fact, his leg wasn't the only thing that was wounded, now that he thought about it. As he stood there, the lingering weariness resurfaced. He'd pushed his muscles to their limit lately, and now that he was settled, he could feel the pain that lingered within the fibers. He sighed and looked back at his room.

Perhaps he'd go lay down and rest for once.

He didn't even debate on the idea and let his feet drag him back down the hall. Then he went into his room, shut off the light, and limped painfully to his bed.

Mikey threw his weight down onto it, allowing his body to sink into his old mattress. The coiled springs beneath him creaked as he slowly slid his legs up closer to him. His breathing became quiet, and his body still. He allowed himself to feel all the soreness, achiness, and physical strain he had put his body through in the past week.

But none of it amounted to what Donnie was feeling, and he knew that.

In a weird way, however, he welcomed the pain. It was his proof of his development and new found strength. But also, it showed him that there was another threshold he needed to cross. There was still more to the path that was laid before him.

So he shifted his thoughts to another issue. His family. They were poking their noses too far into his business. His brothers, especially. And it was only a matter of time before Master Splinter started asking him questions as well.

 _Just a matter of time..._

If he were to take Rocksteady out, as he fully intended to, then what would happen then? His family wouldn't safe with their enemies lurking out there, but they would never understand what he was doing. And there was no way he could tell Donnie. Especially not him. Not with the agonizing suffering he had to go through…

Mikey could never make it up to him, and deep in his heart, it was a reality he'd accepted.

He closed his tired eyes, trying to come up with a solution. Every thought and idea seemed out of reach, since he was never a thinker to begin with. Things didn't come to him so easily as they did with Donnie or Leo. Could he really pull this off? In the end, was he good enough?

 _Stop with the doubt, you've gotten this for!_

Yes, he was a completely different Mikey; not the dumb little brother anymore. It was a simple fact that he kept telling himself. However in the end, it was still too soon to tell where to take this, and he decided to not worry about it for now.

All he needed to worry about is making sure that his leg healed, and keeping his family off his shell.

He couldn't afford to let them in...Not that he wanted to, anyway.

As he lay there, the pressing thoughts began to drift out of focus. The disturbing images of Bebop's murder flashed behind the lids of his eyes, and he allowed himself to succumb to the dreams.

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **BelatedBeliever:** Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Thanks for continuing to follow our progress and for leaving us wonderful feedback. It's taken us some time to get this chapter put together, but here it is and we hope that you enjoyed it! Please, feel free to let us know what you think and keep an eye out for the next installment!

 **FaithfulWhispers:** Hey everyone, I know it's been awhile since we've updated. Real life has been real stressful lately, and we just can't update weekly anymore like we used to. College is quite the ass-kicker. However, we do not intend to drop this fic at all, and we are excited for the plans that we have. We're also so thrilled by all the positive feedback we've received and all the support. We hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and I would like to wish all of you a great Thanksgiving weekend!


	15. Chapter 15

The days turned into weeks and seemed to drag on slowly. The injury to Mikey's leg had impaired his mobility during that time, only allowing him to take short walks within the sewers to relieve tension instead of running on the surface. That was where he found himself after a long morning of katas, in blissful isolation, with only his thoughts and the darkness to keep him company.

It wasn't like he could actually go anywhere else without his older brothers casting glances after him; their eyes following every move he made behind his shell. Donnie's physical therapy took up most of their time, as well as their sensei's, so after a while, the looks became fewer and farther between.

Morning and evening training had been put on hold, since Splinter needed to prioritize Donnie's recovery. Leo and Raph still trained regularly, doing katas and exercises, while Mikey did his own in the privacy of his bedroom. In the end, it still wasn't enough. And as he stared up at the damp, moldy sewer walls, he felt like he was ready to move. The wound was almost a mere scab now, and he was itching to get something done.

Sure, he had the information on Rocksteady… but how long until that became obsolete? For all he knew, the burly mutant might have caught wind of his plans from the Purple Dragons by now, or simply moved to a new location to do business. Then Mikey would have to start all over again-

A soft sound behind him made him turn, and his hands strayed to his nunchucks, anticipating danger. There was no one there. Just the dank, dripping tunnel and the familiar, foul smell that hung in the air. He hummed quietly in his throat. It must have been his imagination; just his nerves making him jumpy.

His mismatched steps echoed on the tunnel as he walked back toward the lair. The pain in his leg was definitely lesser than it had been a few weeks ago. After Leo had confronted him about it, no one mentioned his leg wound, or really even looked at it. Then again, after what had happened in the dojo with Donnie, no one had really tried to speak to him. But he wasn't complaining; he prefered it that way…

But as he walked down the dark tunnel a few more steps, he heard the slightest shuffling from behind him. His hands were back on his weapons as his muscles tensed in anticipation. He took another stride, and he heard light, distinct footfalls from a close distance behind him.

That was it. He wasn't just imagining it. Someone was following him, but he couldn't lead whoever this was back to the lair. Withdrawing the chucks from their holsters, he briskly made his way to the end of the tunnel.

Glancing left, back toward the lair, he sucked his teeth and took the right turn. The quiet footsteps grew closer to him, and whoever it was, they seemed to be skilled in tracking. If it wasn't for his heightened sense of hearing, he wouldn't have noticed that he was followed. So Mikey picked up speed, fighting against the hobbling. His leg didn't matter, his family did. The secret of their existence was more important.

He weaved through the tunnels, leading the unwelcomed guest further away from his family. But as he stepped through sewage water, a small chill shot down his shell. There was something oddly familiar about the presence, and he clenched the handles tighter.

If there was one thing Mikey was good at, it was being unpredictable.

Throwing a glance at each direction, he dove suddenly into a side tunnel. There were three other tunnels with many broken down holes. The unknown person wasn't far behind, and so he threw down a smoke pellet he had in his belt, then jumped upward and climbed into the highest spot.

As the smoke dissipated, he could've sworn he caught a glimpse of blue fabric below him in the darkness. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, but the sound of creaking leather and steel clanging caught his attention. He knew that sound, but he couldn't believe it.

 _Leo's been_ following _me!? I can't even take a walk anymore without him on my shell!_

Rage built up in Mikey's chest and he wanted nothing more than to bellow, cursing his older brother. But he remained where he was in total silence. It _seemed_ like Leo hadn't noticed he was there and ran down the tunnel in the opposite direction.

 _I should have expected this...He and Raph leaving me alone was too good to be true. Heck, they must've been following me every day when I take a walk…_

The thoughts only heated his anger even further, his core boiling over. Every muscle trembled in furious disbelief. His own brothers couldn't even trust him. Nothing had changed since day _one_ -if anything else, it regressed to something worse.

Maybe they were waiting for him to screw up again. Sure, he went and snuck out. And yeah, he even got injured. But that was normal life for them. How many times had Raph snuck out? Or Leo? Even Donnie had done it every once in awhile before the accident….

So why the extra watch on _him_?

Was he to remain the family screw-up?

Mikey shook his head to clear away the doubting thoughts. He wouldn't let that happen, and he would carry out his plan. If he didn't act now, he would never get anywhere. Rocksteady's trail was only going to grow cold if he didn't make his move. His leg was mostly healed. He'd just need to put extra bandages on it to cover the scab…

 _Maybe I should bandage both arms and legs for protection and wear some leather armor..._

At the the idea, Mikey nodded to himself in confirmation. And so, he sat in that hole, coming up with different ideas. Rocksteady was strong and as stout as a concrete wall. If he was going to face the Rhino-man, speed just wasn't going to be enough. Extra gear would definitely be needed; if he were going to survive a confrontation.

 _I'll hit the store room tonight after everyone goes to bed and grab some of the armor...It's now or never…_

* * *

Mikey managed to make it back to the lair without any confrontation of his older brothers. He wasn't sure if he could have kept his temper in check if they had came up to him, and the last thing Mikey needed was their father's attention on him for stirring up fights with his brothers. However, no one was in sight was he walked through the pit. The television was buzzing with static again and the white noise set him even more on edge.

April and Casey's voices drifted into the main room of the lair from Donnie's lab. It had been a week since they had come down to visit, which Mikey attributed to their schoolwork and busy schedules on the surface. He knew that Casey always went to visit Donnie before chilling with Raph and April would stay behind once his visit was over, keeping Donnie company within the lonely confines of his lab. He shouldn't get much interference from them, at least not for a while.

Mikey steered clear of the lab, and headed straight for the bedrooms. He couldn't stand the way everyone, including their friends, had been looking at him. And he _knew_ they'd whisper about him behind his back. He had only placed one foot on the stairs when a voice called out behind him.

"Mike! What up, dawg!"

He stopped and closed his eyes slowly in exasperation. Of all the times for Casey Jones to appear, it had to be today. What he could want to talk about, he could only guess. He turned and saw him standing a few feet away, next to a grim looking April.

"What do you want, Casey?"

Casey scowled at Mikey's question and crossed his arms pugnaciously across his chest.

"You know, Raph was right. You really have become a real prick since Donnie got hurt. Dude, whatever you have a chip on your shoulder about, you gotta let it go."

"Casey, this isn't helping," April chided, looking nervously between the two boys.

Mikey's lip curled up into an unpleasant sneer. He was gratified to see the indignant look on Casey's face falter a little in response.

"You don't know what you're talkin' about, Jones, so don't start tryin' to be my therapist."

"Are you serious right now?" April raised her voice in exasperation. She glared at the turtle and shook her head as she spoke. "Mikey, the guys are seriously worried about you. Yeah, they were jerks. They admitted it, and they're sorry, so why can't you just talk to 'em?"

Rolling his eyes, he shrugged off her words. "Because I got nothin' to say to those guys."

"Mikey, please...," April said, beseeching him him to reconsider.

"Forget it, April. I'm _done_."

He pushed his way past them and started up the stairs towards his room. A hand grabbed his arm and he retaliated without thinking. There was a cry and April stumbled, losing her balance as she fell backward. Casey caught her before she hit the ground.

Mikey stood his ground, his eyes widening in horror. April's face fell; hurt, confusion, and shock swirled within her blue irises. Casey threw a glare at Mikey, piercing him with fiery rage.

"Bro, what's your deal? You didn't need to shove her!"

Mikey stepped back and tried to look away, but he couldn't. Guilt shot through him like an arrow as the two humans stared at him. He couldn't believe he actually laid his hands on April. Raph and Leo were one thing, but she had nothing to do with this.

"I-I-" Mikey choked out. He couldn't make himself say the rest.

Casey released April and stomped over to him. His dark eyes were full of anger as he got up into Mikey's face. "You what?"

"Stop! I'm fine; it was an accident!" April barked out, her arms grabbing onto Casey, holding him back.

Without another word, Mikey turned and sprinted up the steps. His heart pounded relentlessly in his chest, and his thoughts roared like a rushing tide in his head, intensified by all of his unleashed emotions. This was probably the worst thing he had ever done, striking out at her like that. Well, except for the murder, but that had been justified. But he could have seriously hurt April if his fist had been raised a little higher.

 _I'm nothing more than a monster now_ , he thought as he slammed his door.

Cupping his face with his hands, he slid to the floor, his shell grating against the door. He sat in complete darkness, trying to calm his racing heart. No matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't still. He heard April and Casey's voices outside his bedroom, pleading for him to come out, but he stopped up his ears with his fingers.

When April finally managed to drag Casey, who was raving loudly, away from the door, Mikey lifted one of his hands and turned the lock. He needed to be alone. There was no way he would go back out there and face them… And with everyone on edge, constantly watching him and butting into his business, he felt like he could no longer control himself.

Just the thought of Leo following his every move, and the possibility of Raph doing it as well, pushed his anger to the surface, mixing with the pain and regret was making it nearly unbearable to have a moment of peace. Mikey couldn't wait for night to fall. He needed to get out. He needed to execute his plans, before it was too late.

* * *

Darkness settled over the lair, and there was still silence within the air. No one had stirred since 2:00 A.M., and Mikey decided that he would hit the storage room now. He had already wrapped his arms and legs in thick gauze and he felt a little like a mummy. So with cat-like ease, he snuck out of his room, careful not to let the door creak.

Then he made his way to the dojo on feather light feet. He had to make this quick. In and out. No evidence he that he'd went to raid the armory. Once he had all of the equipment as he needed, he would go after Rocksteady and deliver the justice that Donnie deserved.

The room was dark and dank, with the faint scent of mold and mildew clinging to the air. Mikey wrinkled his nose as he stepped inside and pulled the door closed after him. He hadn't been in this room in so long that for a moment, he was unsure if the supplies that he needed would be where he had last seen them. He needn't have worried; his Sensei was a creature of habit, so everything was as neat and orderly as he remembered.

There were four suits of leather armor arranged on racks against the back wall. Master Splinter had made them as a precaution, but they hadn't needed them before now. It had been almost a year since they had been measured for them, so Mikey assumed that he would have to go up a size. Maybe two. Raph's armor would probably be the most probable choice.

The leather felt stiff as he lifted it from its placement. He slipped it over his head and it draped over his shell like a short cape, then tugged on the straps until they could constrict no further around him before reattaching his belt over the leather. His eyes strayed to the metal vambraces on the shelf. Raph had asked Splinter to make them in addition to leather armor, but never used them. Just like the armor, Mikey figured they would fit too, and besides, Raph wouldn't miss them. He lifted one up and began strapping his arm right into it, then followed with the other.

The whole ensemble felt a little bulky, but he knew that it had to be if he wanted to endure any damage that he may be dealt. With all of the protective coverings, Mikey had the thick skin of a rhinoceros himself.

He filled the pockets of his belt with as many smoke pellets as he could carry. That only left three left in the package, but that was inconsequential. The only thing on his mind was having the means to have as many tricks up his sleeve as possible to ensure his success. As an aside, he shoved more shuriken into a pocket. The Boy Scouts had the right idea when picking a slogan when they decided that being prepared was a valuable skill.

Once he was satisfied that he had enough, he piled all of the boxes back onto the shelves haphazardly. They would all know that he had plundered the storage before long, so why try to hide it? Slipping out of the room, he pulled the door shut and crept out of the dojo. So far, so good. There was no sound coming from any of the bedrooms. Mikey checked over his shoulder before hopping over the turnstiles and turning down the tunnel.

Hun's raspy, pained voice echoed in his ears as he hurried down the tunnels. _He's hiding out...at the pier...Warehouse 89…_ Shaking his head to clear the voice, he grabbed onto the cool metal rung of the ladder that led up to the surface. The pier wasn't far away from this section of the sewers, but he couldn't take the direct route there. There was only a slim chance that Rocksteady would even still be there. The margin of error was so slim that Mikey wasn't completely sure that he wasn't wasting his time. But he had to know.

He had this strange feeling that he wasn't alone, besides the rats and roaches that scurried around his feet. Sure, it could have been paranoid thinking on Mikey's part, but after discovering that Leo had been tailing him that afternoon, he couldn't be too sure.

Mikey pushed aside the manhole cover, he climbed out of the tunnel. He put the cover back and darted into the shadows before scaling the fire escape affixed to the brick building. He crouched on the darkened edge of the building, his steel-blue eyes locked onto the manhole. However, six long minutes passed and there was no movement. The only sounds he could hear was the city's nightly traffic and the murmur of people talking on the street below.

Releasing a sigh, he turned away and sprinted across the roof. He was slowly getting used to the bulkiness of the armor, and his movements became more relaxed. The weight wasn't so bad, not nearly as heavy as the weights he used to do squats. Flexing the muscles in his legs, he pushed himself off the edge and lept over the gap to the next building.

The dark bandages felt tight around his legs, but they offered support upon impact. Mikey could barely feel the wound in his leg, and his arms felt equally concealed. The vambraces were a little heavy on his arms, and as he ran, the metal glinted, reflecting the soft lights of the city. However, they would work great against the mutant's horn and hammer. Excitement welled up within his chest, pushing him to go faster. He'd been preparing himself for weeks-no months, for this night. He was ready, and he was determined.

As he cleared another gap, he saw a flash of movement from below. Mikey stopped for a second and glanced back behind him into the dark alley. He held his breath, scanning the shadows, but saw nothing else. With a shrug, he ran east towards the river. If he hurried, he might might make it before four o'clock and-

There it was again. He glanced down and saw the distinctive shape of a figure ducking into the shadows. It wasn't much, but this time, Mikey glimpsed the hilts of a pair of twin katanas protruding from its back. _Leo!_ He groaned inwardly, furious that his busybody of a brother would not quit sticking his beak into in business, and alarmed that he might discover what he was doing and put a stop to it.

 _Crap, he must've used a different manhole to throw me off._ Mikey glanced over to his left and bit his lip in frustration. His hand reached to his belt and into the pocket of smoke pellets. He had lose him; he was in too deep to be thwarted now. Delicately, his fingers gripped onto a pellet, but he realized that would be a waste of precious resource and released it. He then pressed himself further into the shadows, holding his breath. He needed to stay cool; there was no way Mikey would let Leo know that he knew.

"But how do I get rid of him?" he whispered gruffly.

Swinging his head side to side, he took in the sight of his surroundings. He was bunched up against an old run-down apartment complex in a grimy alley that had piles of full trash bags. There was also a dim glow from the streetlight in front of him, providing the only source of light to the area.

Mikey wracked his brain, pushing it to be creative. He never let go of that side of himself, in fact, it would help him now more than ever. His sensei always did say creativity was the key to throwing off their opponent, and that they should use their environment to their advantage. No, that they should adapt.

 _But how?_

He was running out of time, and if he didn't think of something soon, Leo would be there to intercept him. In a frantic attempt to find a solution, he began to dig through the pockets in his armor. There had to be something! But he couldn't waste any of the precious resources he had stolen from the armory!

Finally, after a few seconds of digging, his hand clutched onto his T-phone. Yes, the device Donnie had customly made for him. He pulled it out of his pocket and gave it a sly grin. A nostalgic feeling rose up in him as he recalled the many times Donnie had to repair it for him, or add new game and music apps to it.

As he held onto the device, he looked up towards the streetlamp, then the crumbling building in front of him. A plan magically began forming in his mind as his creativity set in. Then wordlessly, he pulled out a kunai and carefully aimed it at the street lamp.

With a fluid flick of his wrist, he threw the knife at its target and the place became enveloped in darkness as the bulb exploded. He couldn't waste another second, so he climbed into the building and weaved his plan together. The apartment building was mostly the skeletal remains of what it had been; being held up by a wing and a prayer. It should have been demolished long ago. It wouldn't take much to take it down.

Pulling out his T-Phone, he switched on the audio recorder, and imagined himself being trapped under slabs of concrete and iron. In his most desperate voice, he cried into the microphone.

"Leo?! Leo! Help me, I'm stuck!"

Quickly, he listened to the recording, and satisfied that it was convincing enough, set it to repeat on a loop. That should keep him busy long enough to give him a head start. He placed the phone under the support beam. Hopefully, it wouldn't be destroyed when the building collapsed, though if it did, it didn't matter. The falling chunks of concrete would be just as big of a distraction, with or without his voice.

Now, he just had to set it up so that the beam would fall when he was outside the building, so Mikey ducked out the window and plunged into the garbage heap. His eyes scanned the area, and he spotted some old fireworks in a crumpled box behind the dumpster. Some teens probably stashed them there to use later, probably to mess around inside the building.

Either way, Mikey didn't care. He hoisted the box up and swiftly carried it inside. Then he placed it right up by the support beams. When he spotted a match box behind a package of Roman Candles, he shook his head in disbelief. _That's stupid. Why'd they place them in the box with fireworks?_

He lit the corner of the box on fire at the flap, then high-tailed it out of there. There was enough gunpowder in those fireworks, bottle rockets and such, that the beam would collapse with ease. Sticking close to the darkness, he still saw no other signs of Leo, and figured he lost him after blacking out the area.

After gaining some distance, he clambered up the side of a building and glanced back. As he turned his head, there was a loud bang, followed by a series of sizzles and pops. Crackles echoed down the street, and within moments, the building crumbled to the ground, the flimsy walls falling in on themselves. The whole thing caved in, and there was a shower of bright orange sparks shooting into the sky. Then, they dissipated and there was silence, showing that the fireworks had all been used up.

Dust rose from the pile of rubble, billowing up into the night sky. An anguished scream rose from the street below and Mikey saw Leo, dressed dramatically in the outfit he'd worn on their vision quest, running full tilt toward the building. _That should keep him busy_ , Mikey thought as he turned away. He ignored the stab of guilt in his stomach and focused on his destination, and what waited for him there.

* * *

Mikey hunched against the crates along the back wall of Warehouse 89. He had managed to get this far, but he wasn't sure what his first move would be. There wasn't much activity in the building that he knew of, but when he knelt up and peeked in through a window, he glimpsed a large silhouette moving past. Too large to be human.

 _Good, he's still here._

A wave of relief swept through him as he released his grip on the window. He couldn't go in that way; he needed to find another entrance. After all, he wanted to keep the element of surprise on his side. Carefully, he slid off the crates and tip-toed behind the warehouse. His steel-blue eyes scanned the building over, looking for some other way in. His eye caught the electric wires that connected the side, feeding power to the place. Mikey could just simply flick the switches to the breaker off, like he had before, but that would be too easy. Too predictable.

Withdrawing his chucks, Mikey released the blade and eyed the wire carefully. If he did this, he could bolt inside, and at least he wouldn't have to find another way in. How good could a rhino's eyesight be?

With a quick flick of his wrist, the chain whipped upwards and he yanked the blade down onto the wire. It sliced right through, sending out a shower of sparks. The live wire dropped to the ground and pulsed out even more sparks as it flailed on the pavement.

Then without a moment to spare, he snapped the blade back into place and bolted to the door. He threw his weight into it as it opened, and then slammed it shut behind him. Lightly, he dashed across the first floor, making the least amount of sound that he could. On the floor above him, he could heard pounding steps of Rocksteady's massive feet.

"Wonderful, power is out. Where's the breaker box?" the mutant's heavy voice growled.

He made his way up to the next floor and watched Rocksteady lumber about in the darkness, searching for the breaker. It would only be a matter of time before he realized that the problem had nothing to do with the electrical circuits and he smelled a rat. He had to confront him before he decided to flee like a skittish mouse. Launching himself into the air, he flipped over his head and landed a few hundred feet behind the large rhinoceros mutant.

"Yo, ugly!"

Rocksteady whipped his head around and focused on Mikey. Light shone through the paned windows onto his leathery face, giving him a haunted look. His nostrils flared dangerously as he squared his shoulders as he glared down on him.

"Foolish little turtle to come alone," he sneered. "Where are the others?"

"It's just you and me."

Rocksteady arched a brow at him dubiously, as if he couldn't believe that Mikey had the stones to face him alone.

"Purple Dragons say it was _you_ who killed Comrade Zeck."

"Heh, you're damn right," Mikey retorted, channeling his inner Walter White. "You, Bebop and Rahzar almost killed my brother, and now, you are all gonna pay for it."

Rocksteady eyes blazed into an inferno of rage. His body tensed up, his muscles rippling under his leathery skin as his horn lowered towards Mikey. Every muscle in the massive Rhino's arms shook violently, the veins popping out within his pale skin.

Mikey grabbed a smoke pellet from his pocket and leaned his weight onto his toes. Not even a second after, Rocksteady pushed forward, charging wildly at him. Mikey threw the pellet onto the concrete, releasing a dark cloud of billowing smoke into the air around them. He drew his kusarigama and extended the chain.

Gaining momentum, Mikey threw his weapon at the burly mutant as the cloud dissipated. The Rhino snapped his head up as he knocked the chain away with his hammer. _Crap, his eyesight is better than I thought!_ Mikey thought with dismay.

He rolled to the side to collect the deflected blade. Flipping over his enemy, he threw several shurikens at his head. Two of them collided with the horn, scraping it, but the rest were blocked by the massive hammer and sickle. Before Rocksteady could swing a hit, Mikey slammed another pellet onto the floor. He needed to gain distance, recollect his thoughts.

"Stop running turtle and fight like a man!" Rocksteady bellowed through the smoke, swinging left and right wildly.

Mikey backed away as fast as he could and whipped the weighted end of his kusarigama at Rocksteady's face. However, he came bursting through the smoke, swinging his hammer down toward his shell. Mikey leapt to the side and felt the tremor through the ground as he avoided collision.

"Coward!"

At the insulting bellow, Mikey's rage flared. He said nothing as he swiftly leaned back, allowing another swing to pass over his head. _That hammer has to go_ , he thought as he sidestepped him once more. He couldn't keep wasting his smoke pellets while his foe still wielded that weapon.

"I'll bloody you like your brother! No, even better, I'll _kill_ you for what you did to my comrade!"

The image of Donnie's blood dripping onto the concrete of that warehouse, and the massive bruises that were all over his limbs, and his swollen face flickered within Mikey's head. Then, the blood pooling out beneath Bebop after bashing his skull in.

With all that blood, who would mind a little bit more?

The images spurred him forward, giving him new motivation to destroy this monster before he could hurt anyone else. He retracted chain of the kusarigama, but kept the blade out. Then steadying his legs, he waited for Rocksteady to charge again.

Before another thought could enter his mind, Rocksteady swung the sickle, and Mikey barely ducked in time; it nicked his cheek, leaving a stinging diagonal cut. He drew his arm back, preparing to counter, but his foe was too fast. Mikey saw the blow descending on him, so he threw up his arms and blocked the hammer strike with the vambraces. Sharp pain shot right up his forearms, and his legs shook violently from the impact.

Mikey grunted and lunged forward, avoiding another slice of the sickle. I _can't take another hit like that!_ However, as quickly as the thought entered his mind, Rocksteady kicked him away. Then with quick fingers, Mikey threw down another smoke pellet.

Frustration boiled within him as he allowed his enemy to be engulfed in the violet hue. The pain was still significant in his arms, and if they hadn't been bandaged and armored, they would've broken under the hammer.

 _Donnie had to face that brutal strength without any protection!_ The pained face of his brother flashed in his mind once more, completely bruised with a tear rolling down his cheek as he was trapped in his plaster casts.

"I'm going to pay you back for what you did to my brother!" Mikey screeched as he leapt through the air.

He twisted his body in midair, allowing his weapon to swing freely. It snapped forward, catching the sickle in the chain. Instantly, Mikey jerked the chain as hard as could and ripped the curved weapon out of Rocksteady's grip. It flew to the into the darkness of the warehouse, completely out of sight.

A sheer look of shock was etched onto the rhino's face, and he huffed out a heated breath, his lip curling with a combination of exasperation and disgust. Rolling his shoulders he adjusted his weight between his feet, then swung his hammer into an open palm.

Mikey scoffed and looked him up and down, unsure of what the hold-up was. Did his enemy realize he wasn't to be underestimated? Was he considering another plan? Well whatever it was, Mikey wouldn't have it. He needed to rally up his anger again; make him unable to think.

"Yo, what's the matter? Are ya' starting to think that I'm going to kill you too?"

Rocksteady stepped back, his face scrunching at Mikey's taunts, then he burst into a peal of harsh laughter. " _You_? Kill _me_? What is this nonsense you speak of?"

"That's just what Bebop said before I cracked him open like an egg," Mikey taunted with a cold smile stretched across his face. "But let me tell ya somethin'. Your buddy was a _coward._ He would have tried to run if I hadn't snapped him in half like a twig."

Rocksteady's mirth turned sour instantly and he stomped his foot forward, his hammer held up threateningly. "Shut up! You have no right to speak of him!"

Mikey ignored him. He didn't care about things such as rights. This moron didn't have the right to hurt his brother, and honestly, Mikey was glad that warthog is dead. One less threat to his family, and another one was going to go down tonight. Slowly, he drew out another handful of shurikens.

"And I'm gonna do the same to you. You broke my brother, so I'm gonna break you!"

The rhino roared indignantly, then charged toward him, horn raised. Mikey waited until he was a few feet from being impaled by the horn before springing up and over him, allowing Rocksteady to run headfirst into the wall. Concrete fell in large chunks around him as he shook his head savagely.

Seizing the opportunity, Mikey threw the shuriken at the mutant's exposed neck, embedding four of the sharp blades into the skin under his jawline. Rocksteady howled painfully, then tore the shuriken out of his neck and sending rivers of blood pouring down his neck. The sight of the blood encouraged Mikey, and he sprinted forward with his weapons spinning.

He struck his opponent again and again, driving him back with relentless attacks. Mikey's arms were slowly giving way from the blow they received earlier, and as he swung the kusarigama downwards, Rocksteady threw his shoulder into him, avoiding his blade. Mikey collided with a chunk of ceiling on the ground, and a jolt of pain vibrated through his shell. He cringed for a moment, then leapt to his feet. If he hadn't taken Raph's armor, his carapace would've been cracked. He gritted his teeth together and pulled out more kunais. His supply of smoke bombs was starting to run dangerously low, he couldn't use them to run away forever.

If he were going to make anymore progress in putting his enemy down, he was going to have to get in close, and hit him where it hurt. He sprinted forward, the kunai blades gripped tightly in his hand. Using the momentum, he jumped up into Rocksteady's face and plunged the blade into his right eye. The rhino gave an unearthly shriek as blood poured from the gouged false eye, all over Mikey's hand.

Lifting his massive foot, Rocksteady tried to kick him away. Mikey managed to pivot on his toes, curling his body away in time. In a bloody fury, the Rhino waved his hammer erratically from side to side. His actions held no deliberation, and at this point, they were nothing more than wild movements. None of them were landing, but Mikey didn't have the patience to keep avoiding the hammer either.

"Come on, why don't you hit me? Am I too much for you?" Mikey taunted with a sickened sneer.

He swung the hammer at Mikey's head, but he avoided the arc and gained some distance. Since his foe was in excruciating pain and on completely on edge, Mikey felt completely confident in his victory. He lunged forward, then rotated his leg upwards, preparing a kick.

Rocksteady lifted his hammer to defend himself, but Mikey would not give him the opportunity. With a bone crunching strike to his fingers with his nunchucks, he disabled Rocksteady, sending the hammer skittering out of his massive hand. Mikey delivered another roundhouse kick to his opponent's face, sending him sprawling backwards onto the floor. Before the mutant could move, Mikey was on top of him, the blade of his kusarigama extended and against the large pulsing vein in his neck.

"Mercy!"

Mikey stopped, the sharp edge of the blade threatening to slice his exposed throat.

"What?"

"I am asking you for the mercy, turt- er, Michelangelo. I- I can be valuable to you! I know many things about deals with Purple Dragons! I will tell you everything!"

There was an important choice here. Mikey could almost see the paths branching out in front of him; stretching into the distance toward two completely different destinations. He could choose to end Rocksteady, like he had planned, and satisfy his burning desire to avenge his brother. Or, he could choose to spare the mutant and go home, satisfied with the fact that he had single handedly broken him down to a blubbering, begging mess. He had planned on exacting his revenge on the mutants for so long that he was perplexed that he was still hesitating. What was holding him back?

' _The most important thing is that you complete your mission; no matter who, or what you must sacrifice.'_

Mikey remembered Splinter saying this to them so many years ago, back when defeating the Kraang was a top priority. And Leo had taken this as self-sacrifice. He had almost died stopping the Kraang's invasion in its tracks. He had been prepared to give up everything to save the world and to save his family. Somehow, these words were the only thing that made much sense to him right then.

 _Maybe to complete this mission,_ Mikey thought, _I have to sacrifice the myself too._ The old Mikey. The one who joked and laughed and never took anything seriously. Maybe it was time for him to die completely. He was the one who was responsible for his weakness and vulnerability. It would be so easy, so why was he stopping?

Inhaling deeply, he wrapped his fingers tightly around the handle. His arm was completely still, not a single muscle moved. The sharp blade was still pressed up against the exposed flesh of his enemy's throat. Just one slash and it would be over.

Deep inside, the dark intensity of harbored feelings stirred, churning like the surf during an intense midsummer storm. They rose up, moving through Mikey's veins. Rocksteady's ragged breathing filled his ears, muffling the sound of his own blood pumping through him. Surprisingly enough, Mikey's heart was calm with steady, powerful strokes.

But why should he surprised? After all, he tried to deny it the whole time.

He tried so long to ignore it. But no, that needed to end _tonight._

Mikey glared down at Rocksteady's horrified, yet pleading face as he writhed beneath him. His eyes were ablaze with realization as he steadied himself; he knew what he had to do…

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **Faithfulwhispers** : Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in updates! However, we hope you enjoyed this chapter. We had tons of fun writing it, and we have something amazing in store for the next chapter... ;) Also, we cannot thank ever enough for all the feedback and support y'all have given us! It means a lot!

 **BelatedBeliever:** If you have the opportunity, leave us a review and let us know what you think! We appreciate your patience and for following our progress! See you all next time!


	16. Chapter 16

Inhaling deeply, Mikey allowed the darkness stirring within him run its course as he hunched over Rocksteady. It filled him, consuming him. He knew what he had to do; what needed to be done… No, it wasn't just the fact that he needed to, but that he _wanted_ to- for the sake of his family.

His heart was racing, furiously pumping adrenaline through his system. He tilted his wrist up and watched the light play off of the blade in his hand. Rocksteady winced against the sharp edge, cowering and quivering. He tried to edge away from him, but he couldn't get far with Mikey's menacing blade holding him in place.

A sneer crept onto Mikey's face as he tuned in on the sound of his enemy's breathing; drawing his motivation from it. He kept his focus, memorizing the distinct rhythm, for those wretched breaths would be the last for this mutant.

He put pressure behind the blade and sliced clean, deep into his throat. A jet of crimson spurt from the wound and splattered against his face and his armored chest. Rocksteady hoarsely gasped as air refused to fill his lungs. He twisted his head, struggling against Mikey's hold. Blood gushed unhindered from the fresh incision, pouring down his neck. The rasping, desperate gasps, broken by pitiful squeaks echoed off the walls.

Mikey released his hold, allowing for the large, burly mutant to sprawl out onto the floor, who grasped pathetically at his hemorrhaging wound. Blood seeped from between his thick fingers, running down his arms and staining the concrete ground beneath him; it gushed out at fatal speed.

Tension ran high as Mikey stood there, watching Rocksteady bleed out in front of him. The scent of sweat mixed with the metallic stench of blood filled his nose, but he was inexplicably surprised that he wasn't disgusted by it. The murderous act that he had inflicted against Bebop had made him sick to his stomach.

This time, however, there was no bile, only a sensational rush of energy.

He savored the sound of Rocksteady's wretched wheezing as he failed to stop the bleeding. There was no stopping it... And he just couldn't tear his eyes away from the show of anguish that he'd created with his very own hands. Taking a life and extinguishing it... He had no idea it would feel this satisfying. What a thrill!

As more blood pooled from the wound, Rocksteady's movements became sluggish. His agonized choking grew quieter as his breathing died down. The light from Rocksteady's only eye faded, glossing over without the spark of life. Then, he lay still...

* * *

Leo stared dumbfounded at the shattered remains of the T-Phone under a slab of concrete that he had just pulled away. When he'd seen the building crumble to pieces, every ounce of regret, worry and fear that he had been feeling crashed down on his head.

 _Maybe he went home… Maybe he got out and went back to the lair. He can't be dead. He just can't be._

Pulling out his own T-Phone, he called Raph. His brother picked up on the first ring and his voice sounded angry and relieved at the same time.

" _Leo! It's been two hours, man. Did you find out where he was going with that stuff?"_

Sirens blared in the background and he knew that he had to move now, before he was discovered. Keeping the phone pressed to his ear, he sprinted toward an alley and crouched in the shadow of an old dumpster.

"He spotted me again. Then he took out a streetlight and ran into an old building. It collapsed and-"

Raph's dismayed voice cut him off abruptly.

" _What? Is he okay?"_

"I-I don't know! I can't find him; just his T-Phone. He didn't come home, did he?"

" _No. He's not here."_

"Check with Donnie. Maybe he went to him for help."

There was a few minutes of scuffed sounds and muffled talking. Donnie sounded confused and concerned, which wasn't half of what Leo was thinking at the moment. A minute later, Raph's voice returned on the line.

" _Donnie hasn't seen him either. We're coming to help you look for him."_

Leo shook his head, even though he knew his brothers couldn't see him.

"No. Just you. Tell Donnie to stay put. We'll handle this."

Leo could hear Donnie protesting in the background, and Raph insisting that he do what Leo said before be hung up.

How could this have happened? It wasn't the best plan, but Mikey wasn't going to let him close enough to make it up to him. He had hoped to have some kind of intervention, where he figured out where Mikey had been going, and try to convince him that he wasn't the enemy. He had just wanted to help...

Defeated, he sank onto a chunk of rubble and buried his head in his hands. Dust covered his faded blue mask and streaked down his cheeks.

How could he have let this become such a mess? What kind of leader was he to alienate a member of his team; worse, his little brother?

* * *

Exhaustion clung to Mikey as if it were a familiar friend. When he finally turned away from the bloody mess, he saw that dawn was coming from the light orange hue outlining the windows.

"I should head home now…," he murmured thoughtfully to himself.

Mikey's lips were set in a faint smile, and a warm glow of satisfaction blossomed in his chest. He took a step forward, only to feel a small pang in his thigh. Right, he almost forgot the wound in his leg. His body was full of adrenaline, but it drained from his system in hardly any time at all. Now, his shell and arms ached much more, making the pain in his leg seem nearly nonexistent.

That didn't matter, though. He had still won. Mikey savored the victory and wished that he could have made Rocksteady suffer a little more. But as he headed towards the exit, he realized that Rahzar was still at large. The grotesque dog had done most of the torture to his older brother, and Mikey would have the pleasure of tormenting him before ending his pitiful life.

The smile turned up into a delighted, sadistic grin. Mikey never felt so powerful as he did now, and he wanted more-to experience the high that he only got from his enemies' suffering. Yes, he had known all along. He had felt it when he beaten the pathetic goon in that alley, when he bloodied Hun not once, but twice, and when outright murdered first Bebop, and now, Rocksteady.

Why should he have to feel guilty? Why should he keep hurting himself? He _liked_ this new Mikey more than anything, and there was no stopping him now…

But then, he looked up towards the sky and saw the reddened streaks colliding with the faded blue and orange. He knew that his family would surely be waiting for him…

His smile faded as he made towards the closest manhole with slow, deliberate steps. Daylight was on the horizon, and he needed to go home… He picked up the pace and jogged to the manhole cover across the street.

The sound of sirens blared off in the distance, over to where Mikey caused the buildings to collapse. People began stirring in the buildings surrounding him, some even came out into the open. He couldn't linger on the surface for long, and so, he hoisted up the cover and climbed down into the tunnel.

It didn't take long for him to navigate through the murky sewers. The foul stench, ever so familiar, filled his nose. But it wasn't strong enough to sweep away the scent of sweat and blood that clung to him. However, he didn't mind, it was another outcome of the battle he'd won.

Yes, he had won.

He had _won._

But as much as he would love to celebrate his achievement, he knew couldn't keep avoiding the consequences of his actions. His family would only question him. And as Mikey looked down at his body, he saw how torn up he was, covered in blood and dirt. Raph's vambraces were dented pretty badly from Rocksteady's hammer, and Donnie would surely be pissed over the fact that Mikey drained the supply of smoke bombs.

However, one issue was more dire than the rest, and that would be Leo. Mikey knew Leo had followed him and he had tricked him. Slowing his stride, he thought about it for a moment.

 _How pissed is Leo? And is he going to tell Sensei?_

As the thought drifted across his mind, Mikey glanced down at himself once more. He wasn't the same Mikey they all once knew. In the last twenty-four hours, he did so much damage. His hands were bloody and shaking violently. Despite how tired he was, he could still feel the addicting thrill of slicing Rocksteady's throat. That was never going to go away.

The corners of his lips twitched, and he snapped his fingers to a fist. After all that had happened, his family would still love him, right? He was doing this for them! To protect them! Surely, Leo could understand that? And wouldn't Donnie be happy?

 _No, they wouldn't,_ He thought sardonically, _That's just wishful thinking. They've done nothing but harass me, always treating me like a screw up or a child that needs a babysitter._

Mikey sighed and looked straight ahead. Did he even want to go home? What would be waiting there for him? Nothing but the accusations and harsh glares. No matter how he would explain himself, he would be put on lock-down, and even worse, he wasn't sure how he could face Donnie.

 _This all seemed easier in my head._

He had never thought about how Leo and Raph might act towards him, and how Donnie might see him now. He knew Casey would be on his shell the moment he saw him, and perhaps April…

Right, he'd almost forgotten. He laid his hands on her and pushed everyone else away. Then right after locking himself up in his room, he had gone out and murdered another mutant, though that murder was justified.

Even as justified as it was, Mikey couldn't help but _enjoy_ it.

 _I really am a monster now,_ the familiar thought echoed in his head.

He stopped in his tracks in the middle of the tunnel. His brows knitted together as he chewed on his lower lip. He wouldn't be able to face his family after all. By now, Master Splinter probably knew everything, and everyone would be against him.

Inhaling deeply, he clenched the muscles in his arms and turned his head away. No, there was no way he'd stop all this now. He had a goal, and maybe after the final mutant was down, then he could face them. But until then… there was was no "going home".

* * *

Leo stood at the edge of the building, staring into space. Fear and anxiety clouded his mind, and he still couldn't believe what was happening. Daylight spread through the city, shining through the cracks between the buildings. His eyes were sore from the lack of sleep, but there was no time to rest. Raph needed to hurry up, because they needed to find Mikey.

As if his thought had summoned him, he heard Raph's voice call his name behind him. He spun on his heel, hoping for some good news. However, Raph's worried expression reflected his own, so now, he needed to worry about their next move would be.

"What's with all the police just a block over? What the hell happened?" Raph asked, stumbling over the words in his haste.

Leo said nothing as he pulled out the broken T-Phone. His brother's eyes widened in horror and shifted his weight between his feet. As he opened his mouth, Leo shook his head and cut him off.

"There wasn't a body, so he has to be somewhere. I can't use the tracking system to find him, since the phone's trashed… not that it would do us any good."

"'Kay, then what should we do?"

"I've checked every crevice in the area, so I guess the only option we've got is to check all his favorite places, hoping that he ran there instead."

Raph frowned, obviously not happy with this plan.

"Leo, I don't think that's a good idea. He was packing some serious firepower, so we should check the Purple Dragons, man!" He argued back.

Leo's brow creased in agitation, but he couldn't argue with Raph's logic. However, just the two of them wouldn't be enough, so he pulled out his own cell and started pressing buttons.

"Fine, we'll check all the known Purple Dragon hideouts, and I'll have April search Mikey's favorite places… Hopefully, she's not still pissed at him and maybe will convince Casey to help."

Raph's rolled his eyes and leaned over the building. His eyes scanned the streets below, people crowding and going about their business. They couldn't run through the streets in the middle of daylight, but they would stay out as long as it took to find Mikey.

"We really, _really_ fucked up…"

"Yeah, I know. But now's not the time to cry about it, though," Leo replied grimly, tugging his hood back up over his head.

* * *

Mikey's steps were staggered, his arms ached with tiresome pain, and the nerves within his shell throbbed. Still, he was determined to keep moving as he made his way through the sewer system. He hadn't decided where he would go, but the lair was _not_ an option.

He debated on hiding in Central Park, or maybe close to Murakami's, or even that abandoned pizza joint, but quickly dismissed those ideas; his brothers would find him easily. There was just no way he could go to the places that used to him comfort- no, he didn't need them anyways. The fact that his plan was going smoothly, with minor set-backs, was what gave him comfort.

Just the knowledge that his family will no longer suffer because of his actions, was what kept him going. He just needed time to heal up and think of a strategy to fight Rahzar. At one point, he could've beat him so easily, but after Shredder's death, the filthy dog had taken the time to hone his own skills.

And now, Mikey was sure Rahzar would figure out that he was coming for him, so he had to figure out how to bait him out into the open. As he tried to think about it, he closed his eyes, causing the memories on how Rocksteady's suffering sounded, and how easy his life had ended, to flood back.

Mikey didn't even bother to tell himself that feeling this way was wrong. He was sick of dumping on himself, or even lying to himself. Raph got to enjoy beating others and being a bully, so why couldn't Mikey do it?

That wasn't even a question worth asking himself, because he knew he could allow himself the luxury. Who was going to stop him now? His brothers wouldn't know where to find him, he'd make sure of that. And he was now better than them in every way, even Donnie would be impressed-

He shook his head, clearing his mind. Mikey didn't need to justify himself. He loved his brothers more than anything. It was just...

Donnie was the one thing he tried to avoid thinking about. He wasn't quite sure how his brother would react, he never let him in on the plan, nor did he confide in him when Raph and Leo were jerks. He hadn't actually spoken to him, giving him a heart-felt talk, even when he was bound to his bed.

The corner of his lips curled downwards, and a pang surged through his chest. Had he really pushed Donnie that far away? He was doing this for _him_ , so his running off without an explanation conjured up the familiar guilt-

No, he wouldn't think about that. Donnie would appreciate Mikey's determination. It was the one thing he and Mikey both admired about Leo and Raph growing up. Besides, deep down, he knew none of that mattered at the moment.

He already came to terms with how things were going to be and what needed to be done, so he had to keep pushing himself. Now was not the time for weakness, or even any sort of self-doubt.

 _After all, there's just no stopping this now…_

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Belated Believer** : Hey everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who sent us feedback for our last chapter! There was more reviews sent in than ever before, so we were so excited for that! Also, did you see the lovely cover art? Faith drew that a while ago, but it is so beautiful that it's going to be the face of the story! Give her a big hand and check out her other artworks on tumblr! We also have more spectacular news! Consuming Darkness has been nominated for three awards in the 2015 TMNT Fanfiction Awards!

 **FaithfulWhispers:** Yeah, we're incredibly thrilled! Y'all have given us so much support, and we can't thank you all enough. We were so happy to see that we were nominated for _**Best Drama,**_ _**Best Michelangelo**_ , and _**Best Multi-Chapter**_. We encourage everyone to check out the official ballot on the Stealthy Stories website. We also apologize for the delay in updates, but RL gets in the way at times. But we hope you enjoyed this chapter, and we look forward to all the feedback! Thanks again, everyone!


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